Thousands to lose out on university place, many for whom this could be their final chance, says UCU

The figures, released today by UCAS, show that as of 23 May, a total of 550,147 had applied to start university in September 2011 - the final academic year before tuition fees rocket to up to three times their current level. The equivalent figure for total applicants in May 2010 was 545,798.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We are clearly set for a repeat of last year where thousands of young people missed out on the chance to go to university when demand increased but supply didn't as the government scrapped plans to create 10,000 extra university places.

'Our fear is that this year, the situation will be much worse for many of those young people who lose out, as the huge increase in tuition fees from 2012 will effectively mean it's their final chance to get a degree without incurring intolerable debt.

'This government has refused to invest in extra places yet most studies show that increased access to education is not a drain on resources. Rather, education enhances productivity, increases skills, promotes well being and expands wealth.'

The UCAS figures are available here.