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Training and Personal Development

All the skills required in the modern workplace – and how to get them.

Welsh Students encouraged to study in Wales

The number of university applications in the UK has gone up by 6.4 per cent since last year and the number of English students applying for courses rose considerably. But, fewer Welsh students applied for a place at university this year despite lower tuition fees.

The figures from the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) showed that English applications rose by 7.1 per cent compared to a drop of 0.6 per cent amongst Welsh students, this despite the increase of tuition fees in England to £3,000 per year.

However, the number of applications to study at universities in Wales has increased by 0.4 per cent which suggests that Welsh students are opting to study closer to home as the costs of spiralling debts become a major factor when deciding where to study.

This would explain why 0.6 per cent less Welsh students has applied to English universities this year compared to the number of applications to Welsh Universities.

But, the figures also suggest that students are thinking more carefully about which degree course will provide them with a better financial return upon graduation.

Indeed, applications for business & administration and finance courses have risen by 25 and 20 per cent respectively. By contrast, some of the more traditional courses such as history (1.8 per cent) and geography (3.1 per cent) showed smaller rises.

Interestingly, applications from English and Scottish students to study in Wales dropped by 0.3 and 13.6 per cent and respectively. However, there was a dramatic increase in applicants from many of the new EU member states and other countries, with a 200 per cent rise in applications from Romania and 184 per cent from Bulgaria.

One possible alternative could be for Welsh institutions to follow the lead taken by the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) to give Welsh sixth form students from deprived areas a better opportunity to attain a university
qualification.

LEAP (Learning and Education Admission Programme) is part of UWIC’s commitment to encourage students from Community First areas to consider university as a viable career option.

(Picture: Female University student holding some books)