University doors closing on thousands of hopefuls

HUNDREDS of thousands of students will be turned away from universities this autumn as institutions cut and freeze places, it was reported yesterday.

Almost seven students are battling for every spot, while universities are tightening their entry criteria.

Nearly three in four institutions are cutting or freezing the numbers of places they are offering, according to a survey conducted by a national newspaper.

It comes as record numbers apply to start higher education this September. According to Ucas figures, as of the end of May there had been 640,760 applications, a rise of 77,758 (13.8 per cent) on 2009.

The record rise in applications is placing universities, who are facing multimillion-pound government cuts, under increasing pressure.

It was announced last month that the sector must save 200 million this year, on top of savings totalling around 1 billion over the next few years.

The government has pledged to create 10,000 extra places for this autumn – the majority of which will go to science and maths-based courses.

Universities minister David Willetts admitted last week there will be "intense pressure" on places, adding: "There simply isn't the capacity to meet such a surge in demand."

The survey obtained data from a third of Britain's 160 universities and higher education colleges.