Commenting on the UCAS figures released today, Director of OFFA, Sir Martin Harris said:
‘It is reassuring that, once allowance is made for the surge in applications last year, the underlying trend in total applications to higher education remains upwards.
‘In particular, the figures suggest that school leavers intending to be full time students, whatever their social background, have not been deterred from applying. This appears to be due in part to the revised fee arrangements, the re-introduction of grants and the strong bursary packages put in place by institutions through their access agreements with OFFA.
‘However we are only part way through the application cycle and so it’s too early to predict with certainty the final position. Institutions will want to monitor what happens with applications from mature and part time students in particular – many of whom don’t apply through UCAS. These groups are an important indicator of the overall success of institutions’ access and widening participation strategies. It will remain important for institutions to continue to communicate the student finance message effectively to all potential students including groups other than school leavers.’
For further information on UCAS application figures, visit the UCAS website.