Yorkshire continues to pull in university students despite fee rise
As politicians wait to hear
what impact the university fees increase will have on student recruitment,
universities in Yorkshire are reporting that
applications to study in the region remain consistently strong.
When legislation was changed
in 2011 allowing universities to charge up to £9,000 a year, critics feared
that it would herald a major downturn in the number of young people applying to
enter higher education. The official figures from UCAS (Universities &
Colleges Admissions Service) due to be published in February will give a clear
picture of the fee hike but in the meantime Yorkshire continues to be a popular
student destination.
Professor Roger Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Yorkshire Universities, which
represents the universities in Yorkshire and the Humber,
says that the picture for the region is ‘looking good’. Professor Lewis said: “Interest from young people
wanting to study in the region remains high and in many cases applications are
up on previous years.
“Universities report that
they are attracting the right students without having to lower their expectations
of high quality applicants and all institutions predict that they will meet
their recruitment targets.”
With no evidence that the
increase in tuition fees will affect recruitment to the
region’s universities, Professor
Lewis says it is because they are
so distinctive in what they offer. Professor Lewis added: “From members of the Russell Group to rich heritage locations, institutions in rural
settings and lively and interesting towns and cities, Yorkshire’s universities genuinely have it all.
“Many of our universities and
colleges have had major renovations to create vibrant modern world-class
campuses which are fantastic places to live and study. Add to that the great
range of courses, including those with good employment prospects, and it
explains why our universities are recruiting across the board.”
For the last two years, universities from Yorkshire
have won the coveted University of the
Year title awarded by the Times Higher Education Awards. This year the prize
was awarded to the University
of Sheffield which judges
said had ‘stood out as a result of a strategy based on its values and rooted in
its founding principles’. In 2010 the award went to University
of York which this year was nominated
for Outstanding Engineering Research Team of the Year, Outstanding Support for
Students and Entrepreneurial University of the Year.