UCU responds to 10% rise in university applicants

The union said the government had to do more to ensure the majority of applicants had the opportunity to fulfil their potential and said a failure to remove the current cap on additional student numbers would 'ration hope'.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We know the power that education has to transform lives and welcome the encouraging rise in applications. During these tough economic times we need to be doing everything we can to support educators and students. The prime minister boasted recently that he would not allow education to become a victim of the recession. Unfortunately, the government is yet to do anything to suggest his statement was not merely rhetoric.
 
'Removing the cap on student numbers, matched with requisite funding, would be a good first step to delivering his promise. Anything else will be rationing hope for thousands of students this summer.'
 
By 30 June 2009, 592,312 people had applied to start courses this autumn compared with 540,108 at the same point last year. The full figures are available at the UCAS website