This page reflects on the issues affecting university funding in 2010 and subsequent shortage in places available. It offers pointers on what to consider when selecting a course to study with potential employment implications and then explains the process of how to apply to university, what to do when you get your results and the clearing process, links to student advice sites and recommended books and tips on studying and dissertations.

The state of higher education in 2010

In 2010 British universities face the challenging prospect of record applications for places combined with a continued squeeze in funding to run them.

According to figures by Ucas 675,000 students had applied to start undergraduate degrees this September - nearly 69,000 more than at the same time last year, which was itself a record. However due to shortfalls in higher education funding as a consequence of the budget deficit, the increase in the number of places on degree courses has been limited to 10,000 for the current year. Consequently the record applications, added to severe budget cuts, mean that increasingly more students are applying for places than are available at university.

Increasing demand for places – an inappropriate aspiration?
Demand for university places has risen quickly over the past decade. The previous Labour government's target of getting 50% of school leavers to go onto higher education and the expansion in university places has made a degree an expectation rather than desire for many youngsters. Add to that the effects of the recession with diminished employment prospects for school leavers and it is therefore hardly surprising that increasing numbers of people are choosing to study for a degree. Meanwhile, applications are up about 23% for over-25s, suggesting people struggling in the jobs market are going back to education to retrain, and the ranks have then been further swelled by a bottleneck of last year's disappointed applicants - with a 24% increase in the number of previous applicants re-applying to 56,960.

The target of getting a higher number of school leavers to go to university has come in for increasing criticism from employers, with the Association of Graduate Recruiters saying: “The focus must shift back to quality rather than quantity.” It concludes that the target devised under the Blair government of half of all under-30s going into higher education “has driven down standards, devalued the currency of a degree and damaged the quality of the student university experience. “

AGR goes on to say: “Growing numbers of students are studying degree courses which lack rigour in below-average institutions. This does not help young people’s life chances or represent a good financial investment. It also creates problems for graduate employers who can no longer be sure what the value of certain degree courses and institutions is.”

Along with previous calls by the CBI to scrap the target, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development joined the criticism as it published a survey in March 2010 showing that close to 6 in 10 recent graduates who have a job are not working in a field related to the degree they studied. Of these, 58 per cent said this was because they were unable to find a suitable job – suggesting that many graduates are frustrated in their career aspirations. The CIPD argues that the higher number of competing graduates is reducing the likelihood that they will be able to find a job that matches the skills they acquired during their degree.

However, as a counter argument advocates of mass higher education have argued that the generic skills that graduates learn, such as independent thinking, are more important than the specific skills related to the particular subject they studied. According to this reasoning, graduates will be more productive workers regardless of which field they enter.

The most recent figures show 43 per cent of young people go to university. In recent years the outgoing government downgraded the 50 per cent figure from a “target” to an “aspiration” whilst the Tories criticised the benchmark, saying: “We have never accepted Labour’s arbitrary targets.”

150,000 students miss out on university places
The Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook has warned that more than 150,000 students are expected to miss out on a degree place in 2010, or over 20% of the 675,000 students who applied to university. And universities are expected to be less likely to accept students who just missed the grades required in their offers. Some are suggesting that re-takes will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Ms Cook said many with good A-level grades would withdraw from the system with a view to re-applying next year.

Higher Education minister David Willetts told students to look at other options because around seven will now be competing for every spare place in the clearing process, with clearing availability also expected to plummet by half. He said: "Sadly, there will be quite a number of young people who don't get a place. It has always been a competitive process but for them we've got the widest possible range of alternative options, including, of course, studying at Open University, studying at an FE college or going into work with an apprenticeship."

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, attempted to soften the blow by saying: "Those who miss out this year should consider getting broader experience - in the workplace or by volunteering - which will strengthen their applications next time." Options for those who don’t get a place at university Prospective students can wait for a year to re-apply, and try to find work in a crowded job market, travel or do voluntary work or an internship while they wait. For more on these options refer to our Gap Year page.

The head of Ucas has suggested apprenticeships as an alternative option, but competition for schemes with strong career prospects is stiff. Part-time study and distance-learning are among other options. The Open University and Birkbeck University, which specialises in evening courses, have both reported a rise in applications from young people. Study at a further education college is also a possibility.

The National Exam Results helpline offers information, advice and support to anyone considering their options - call 0808 100 8000.

What are the prospects for university funding, and subsequently places next year?
Universities are given about £11bn a year by the government, which works out at about £7,000 a year per student. The students pay back less than half - £3,225 - in tuition fees with the remainder paid for by the taxpayer.

Labour hugely expanded spending on higher education to attempt to match rising student numbers until its last year in office, when it reduced the projected budget for the year 2010-11, as a consequence there is simply not enough money to pay for the number of places available – and we’re back to the previous Government’s target of 50% of young people going to university now back firing.

Due to ongoing budgetary constraints in seeking to address the country’s budget deficit, prospects with the new Government are no brighter. As well as reigning in the expansion in university places, the coalition government has said most government departments must cut 25% of their budgets over the next five years in order to close the budget deficit. In fact higher education has been given a degree of respite compared to other departments as university places for the current year have just been capped at an increase of 10,000 (rather than the 20,000 initially planned) rather than reduced.

So are higher tuition fees the answer?
Britain’s leading organisation for graduate employers, the Association of Graduate Recruiters, seems to think so, calling on ministers to end the cap on university tuition fees, to restore the quality of degrees.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive, said: “We think you will not get the quality that employers expect unless there is more funding put into higher education. Employers are not comfortable with the notion of students going to university just because it’s the thing to do, because it’s cool in some way. We think that if they are making this investment [in higher tuition fees], it is going to sharpen their focus.”

The AGR recommends that the fee cap “should be removed in stages and only removed completely in 2020”. However, financial “safeguards” should be put in place “to protect students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds”.

Labour and the Conservatives have declined to give their views on tuition fees, saying they await an independent review of the student funding and finance system, under Lord Browne, which is due to report in the autumn. It was set up to look at whether the current cap on tuition fees should be raised. Whether it does that, or suggests other mooted alternatives such as introducing a graduate tax, we await to see. But it certainly appears likely that students will be asked to contribute more to their education in future.

What should I study at university?

In considering what degree course to take typically you will be looking to follow on from your choice of A-levels given it is likely these were subjects you were a) interested in and b) relatively good at. At the same time you should give thought to career prospects following university, if you have a specific career course in mind such as lawyer or doctor then naturally a law or medicine degree would be the logical choice.

If you wish to consider both employment prospects and earnings potential following university then those graduating from disciplines where skills shortages are present such as in engineering, maths and the sciences (see more on this in the following article) tend to record higher average earnings over their career (compared to non-graduates) than those from arts or humanities degrees, as shown in the table below:

Subject studied	Average extra earnings (compared to non-graduates)
Medicine	£340,000
Law	£245,000
Engineering	£245,000
Maths	£240,000
Physics	£190,000
Chemistry	£185,000
Business	£185,000
European languages	£165,000
Psychology	£100,000
Linguistics and English	£95,000
Humanities	£50,000
Arts	£35,000

Clearly these are only average earnings and rates of pay and circumstances can vary widely between each field. It's also true that, without a degree, you can still earn more than the average graduate. Those taking training places from one of the big accountancy or law firms, for example, can circumvent the need and cost of a degree and get a 3-4 year headstart on graduates in the workplace. For more on the financial implications of university please see our article ‘Can I afford to go to university?’ on the Student Finance page.

Media studies vs Engineering, the employment skills imbalance of tomorrow?

Sir James Dyson, the inventor entrepreneur, has called out on behalf of UK industry for the education system to deliver more people with the right skills and potential to succeed in engineering and manufacturing. However figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications showed a total of 17,442 A-level students sat technology exams in 2009-10, compared to 33,822 people taking media, film or TV studies.

Whilst acknowledging increasing numbers of students with strong science, engineering, technology and mathematics A-levels in 2010 compared to the prior year Sir James said: “we need to boost these numbers, there are still twice as many people choosing media studies over technology.” He added: “For the UK to stay competitive, we require having the right people with the right training.”

The warning comes as a third of engineering companies said they doubted they would be able to recruit enough suitably qualified professionals to meet their business needs, according to the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). About 20pc of science-related professional jobs in the UK were filled by migrant workers, the IET said, in a sign that the skills gap could become unmanageable with large scale projects such as new nuclear power stations.

Paul Davies, IET head of policy, said: Unless we see a dramatic change in the number of young people progressing into science, technology, engineering and maths courses and then careers, the UK will struggle to deliver the new technology and infrastructure needed for a green economy.

Major energy companies including EDF Energy, E.ON, Centrica and National Grid have also recently warned that not enough young people want to study or work in the engineering and energy sector. A survey of 2,000 A level and university students by Centrica , revealed that 55pc would not consider a career in science, technology or energy. Media and entertainment jobs were more desirable, the study showed. Centrica said the results were a "huge concern" because an estimated 70pc of the UK's current nuclear workforce could be retired by 2025.

National Grid agreed the Government should step up efforts to tackle skills shortages in science, technology, engineering and maths. Jon Butterworth, operations director, said: "I am personally worried about the quality and quantity of young people studying engineering." He added: "National Grid would like to see industry and Government working consistently on a campaign to inspire people to acquire the skills needed to be part of a low-carbon future. We need to counter stereotypical images that engineering is boring or geeky. We need young people to want to get involved.”

A number of energy companies agree on the pressing issue, an EDF Energy spokesman said: "It's crucial that we make science, technology and engineering appealing again so the future workforce has the skills needed. A large part of EDF Energy's recruitment challenge will be in the search for a wide range of engineering, nuclear science and technology skills." Further Dave Newborough, head of HR at E.ON, added: "We have a huge engineering skills challenge over the coming years."

Back to Dyson and they’re still looking for another 250 engineers to join the company this year, despite having advertised for 350 roles in April. The company has been swamped by 4,000 applications, but so far has only recruited 100 people.

Sir James called on the Government to introduce greater flexibility into the UK education system, with two-year degrees that guaranteed industry placements. He said: “University is vital for theory, but its no substitute for reality. A taste of the world of work will give young people greater clarity and direction in where they’re going either at university or in the workplace.”

Applying to university - the UCAS process

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) handles all UK full-time undergraduate applications, which is handy as it means you only need to fill in one form to apply to up to six institutions. Application forms are available from schools, colleges and careers officers or you can apply on the UCAS website using their Electronic Application System. For help completing your UCAS form and with writing the personal statement, which university admissions tutors will review in considering your application, there is a handy guide available:

How to Complete Your UCAS Application 2010 Entry "This guide aims to help make filling in the UCAS application a lot easier for the applicant. It includes clear information on each section of the UCAS form as well as advice on how to pick a course and what to look for if you already have career in mind. This guide helps you to plan one of the biggest decisions of your life so far by making the process a lot more manageable and calming your nerves with direct advice. It also contains tables that clearly define the UCAS points tariff for students studying a variety of qualifications including Scottish Highers and the International Baccalaureate."

When to apply to university
For most courses, UCAS must receive your application form between 1st September and 15th January in the academic year before university entry. Deadlines for Oxbridge colleges are slightly earlier and generally it is recommended that you get your application in as soon as possible.

Where to apply to?!
Probably the most important factor to consider when choosing a university is to make sure they offer a course which you will be most interested in and which is suited to you. The next important thing to look at is the entry requirements for the course. By the time it comes around to applying to universities you should have a set of predicted A-level grades, the entry requirements to the courses you apply to should be based on your predicted grades. Be aware however that if you apply for a course which has significantly higher entry grades to your predictions, then the chances are that they will look most favourably at the candidates who do meet their entry requirements.

When filling in your UCAS form you will be asked to select your top six courses. The best plan is to choose a couple of courses whose entry requirements match, or even slightly excede your predicted grades. Then choose a couple more courses around your predicted grades, then a couple whose entry requirements are lower than your predicted grades. Therefore ideally, after you've received your responses from the universities, you'll be able to put your first choice course, usually the one with the highest entry requirements, as first choice - then a course with lower entry requirements as your 'insurance' choice.

As well as choosing an appropriate course to do at university, deciding which actual university you want to go to is an equally important decision. Often geography is a main deciding factor - with students deciding which university to go to based on its location around the country. A university's reputation is an important factor, as the very top graduate recruiters tend to focus on the more established 'redbrick' universities. One thing to take note of is that the standard of courses varies greatly between universities, it can by no means be guaranteed that a top five university would be the best choice for a specific course.

The majority of universities in the UK are campus based which means that accommodation, lectures and entertainment may all be based in the same area. You need to decide whether you'd be more suited to a relaxing, more country style campus - such as Exeter, or a bustling city university such as UCL in London. This decision can be another important factor in choosing which university would be suitable for you. For more advice the following books provide an excellent resource of research:

	The Times Good University Guide 2010 "How do you find the best university for the subject you wish to study? You need a guide that evaluates the quality of what is available, giving facts, figures and comparative assessments of universities. Since 1992, The Times has produced the most widely respected and used university league tables. The Guide takes the key measures of quality as its focus, so you can make informed choices of university and subjects. Still unique and still controversial, the rankings provide hard data, analysed, interpreted and presented by a team of experts. The 2010 edition of the best-selling Times Good University Guide has been further extended, now offering: Unique league table ranking to Britain's universities, which enables readers to assess strengths and weaknesses of each university. Over 60 tables giving the best universities for particular subjects. Advice on how to select a course and a university. Details of government changes to higher education. Guidance on how to apply and pay your way through university. Advice on finding and paying for accommodation while you are there. Two pages of information on each university. Detailed coverage of Oxford and Cambridge colleges. Information specifically designed for international students."
	The Guardian University Guide 2010 "Which university should I apply for? What are the courses on offer? When will I need to start filling out my application? How much will my degree cost? If you're thinking of applying to university and have more questions than answers, then this is the book for you. It contains profiles of more than 150 universities and higher education colleges. It features unique Guardian subject ratings that take into account data from the National Student Survey so that you can consider not only what results the institutions get but also what students think of their time there. It includes no-nonsense advice on the whole process, from requesting your first prospectus to meeting UCAS deadlines. It presents a fully updated chapter on finance, along with details of all the bursaries and awards available at each institution. Compiled by the team from the Guardian's highly regarded 'Education' section, this new edition of The Guardian University Guide contains more information than ever before and is guaranteed to help you find the right course at the right university."
	The Virgin Guide to British Universities 2011 "The Virgin 2011" guide is the only university guide to offer a uniquely students' eye view of what it's like to study at a particular university. As well as hard facts and practical information on every UK university - such as official ratings for teaching, statistics on where graduates end up and employment prospects by subject - the guide is also packed with useful information such as what the social scene is like, how much living costs are likely to be and what the student profile at a particular university is really like. With a comprehensive entry on every UK university, the Virgin guide contains all the information and advice potential undergraduates will need to choose the best university for them. With average student debt topping GBP12,000, choosing the right university has never been more crucial. The Virgin guide will make the choice easy.

Apply2Uni offer a personal statement example, editing and writing service to help people apply to universities in the UK. Their services are offered by experienced UCAS writers and they provide initial and ongoing advice to help applicants secure their first choice at university.

Open Days list open days for every UK higher education institution in the UK.

Or if you're not sure on whether university is for you check out Not going to uni for advice on alternative career paths for school leavers including apprenticeships and further training.

Here is a list of other recommended books:

	The Virgin University Survival Guide "The Virgin University Survival Guide is full of indispensable advice and information which will see you through the whole of your student life, from freshers' week to finals, and beyond. With advice on money and debt, housing, studying and exams, health and stress, work and careers and what to do when you graduate, this guide contains everything, including the kitchen sink (and how to unblock it)."
	Getting into Oxford and Cambridge 2010 entry: The best guide to applying to Oxbridge "This is a practical and informative guide that leads the potential candidate through the long and sometimes stressful application to Oxford and Cambridge. Starting with advice on early preparation (before GCSE level) it gives the reader the opportunity to assess whether they are completely committed to the application. Then the book fully prepares the reader for the process ahead offering detailed advice on preparing a strong UCAS application with a shining personal statement as well as how to prepare for the college admissions tests. The interview process is then extensively covered; discussing good techniques and possible questions, what to wear and maps showing how to get to the colleges. The MPW Guides explain the complex procedures for getting into higher education, going beyond the official publications to give would-be students straightforward practical advice on how to secure a place on the course of their choice."
	MPW: GETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL 12E (MPW 'Getting Into' Guides) "This guide approaches the process of application to Medical School in a realistic and logical way. It starts by helping would-be applicants decide if this is the right choice for them and whether they have a good chance of success with their application. Current medical issues that can come up in interviews are also discussed as well as how to handle interview questions. Other chapters include information on procedures for non-standard applications and what to do if made an offer. Finally, the book offers some examples of personal statements and advice from members of staff at UK medical schools. MPW Guides explain the complex procedures for getting into higher education. Written by acknowledged experts in a clear, concise format, they go beyond the official publications to give would-be students straightforward and practical advice on how to secure a place on the course of their choice."
	Medical School Interviews: A Practical Guide to Help You Get That Place at Medical School - Over 150 Questions Analysed "This book presents an in-depth look at over 150 medical school interview questions. It provides you with techniques to address the various types of questions, analyses good and bad examples of answers, teaches you how to add depth to your answers and how to answer those difficult ethical scenarios and lateral thinking questions."