UNIVERSITY PLACE CRISIS

Thousands of school-leavers who applied for university to avoid an ever dwindling job market will now go straight on to the dole queue, writes Hilary Douglas. The problem is being worsened by the number of applications to become mature students from people who have lost their jobs.

Official figures show that numbers of over-25s are up by more than a fifth on last year with a 22 per cent rise in older people applying for two-year foundation degrees in practical subjects. Journalism, nursing, aerospace, engineering, hospitality, leisure, tourism and transport are the areas in which older prospective students are placing their hopes.

Government ministers are under heavy criticism for repeatedly pledging to get half of all school-leavers into higher education, while at the same time slashing university funding. The now defunct Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills announced earlier this year that only 10,000 extra students can be admitted to English universities this year.

Earlier this month Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills promised to create 10,000 new places for science undergraduates but failed to provide any extra funding.