Appliance for students falling just the tip of the iceberg

The number of applicants from the students home at UK universities has fallen significantly this year, with the applications of mature students the worst hit. Some figures are playing for college impact, but it could be just the tip of the iceberg after a decade of changes in university funding.

Earlier this month, the UK body for college applications, UCA, released figures stating that applications this year have fallen by an average of 8.7%. This may have much to do with the increase in rising tuition fees in England.

Almost all disciplines facing a decline in applications, with the biggest losses being in non-European languages ​​and "technology," which fell by almost a fifth.

The only materials increased slightly to be 'aligned medicine ", ie nursing, midwifery and physiotherapy. However, increased interest in these specific professions is probably more to do with the fact that they are government funded and no tuition fees must be paid, rather than a sudden philanthropic impulse of the current population of English 18 years of age.

Mature students

More interesting, however, is the news that the largest fall in applications was one of the adult students, with a total drop of almost 11% of students over 25. One of the reasons is that adult students have been most affected by changes in tariffs. From autumn 2012 will no longer be eligible for student loans if you are studying for a second degree.

Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, told The Guardian: "It is a very worrying signal that people are looking to get education and training to promote their college ambitions are avoiding the debt that comes with it."

Mature students constitute one third of the student population and contribute greatly to student life. The British environment where you have to make a decision on practically their future career at the early age of 18, seems very short-sighted of the government to limit more degrees for those who wish to change their minds.

And in financial terms of crude why one wants to alienate a possible third Customer universities?

Internationally, Britain lags behind other countries in the field of adult learners and skill levels. A statement from universities in the UK, the body representing universities, showed that Canada, the US, New Zealand and Russia had a much higher proportion of 25 to 64 years old with a degree of education higher than the UK.