The number of applications to Welsh universities has fallen by 2.1 per cent, bucking the overall trend from the rest of the UK which has seen a rise of 3.5 per cent in applications, according to UCAS. However, there has been a rise in those wanting to attend Welsh universities from outside Wales, offsetting the thirteen per cent increase in the number of Welsh students choosing to study outside of Wales.
These figures have dispelled fears over the Welsh governmentÔÇÖs tuition fee policy for Welsh students that involved a ÔÇÿtop-upÔÇÖ contribution to tuition fees above ┬ú3,500 for Welsh students, even if they are not studying in Wales. With average tuition fees in England at ┬ú8,500, this means that for each Welsh student studying over the border, the Welsh government provides a ┬ú5,000 subsidy for them per year.
In 2012, more than 7,000 Welsh students chose to study outside of Wales ÔÇô a thirteen per cent increase on the year before. As a result, the Welsh government paid ┬ú31 million in fees to universities in other parts of the UK.
It is hoped that these figures would be offset by the number of students from outside Wales paying the full tuition fees of up to £9,000, charged by some universities, including Cardiff. Education experts were concerned that the £1.5 billion policy might not be sustainable if fewer students came from outside Wales, paying the full fees.
However, the number of English students enrolling at universities in Wales in 2012 fell by nearly 17% compared to the previous year.
Shadow Education Minister Angela Burns has accused the Welsh government of ÔÇ£not doing the mathsÔÇØ following the latest figures. ÔÇ£If the greatest proportion of the decline in applications to Welsh universities is from full-fee paying English students, this makes it very difficult for the Welsh government to balance the books.ÔÇØ
According to calculations, it will take around 24,000 English learners studying in Wales to mitigate money spent on 16,000 Welsh undergraduates going the other way.
Deian Hopkin, a member of the High Education Commission UK stated: ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt think anyone can deny weÔÇÖre moving into somewhat uncertain territory.ÔÇØ
ÔÇ£For a variety of reasons, applications to Wales and indeed, enrolments in Wales last year dropped faster than perhaps people had hoped.ÔÇØ
These latest figures from across the UK suggest that the downward trend has stopped – but there are only limited signs of a return to a growth in applications.
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