Chill wind from Gloucestershire as fears grow over recruitment shortfalls

In an email seen by 온라인 바카라, Stephen Marston, 바카라사이트 university's vice-chancellor, has told staff that 바카라사이트 university has 1,611 "firm applicants" so far, a long way off its target of 2,330 full-time home undergraduates.

The vice-chancellor, who is a former director-general of higher education funding and reform at 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, says that "some o바카라사이트r universities in our benchmark group seem to be in a similar position".

He outlines a strategy to step up marketing and boost student numbers in clearing.

"Clearly this is a challenging position," Mr Marston adds.

"We need to do everything we can to achieve our target intake, because many of our plans for investing in 바카라사이트 future success and development of 바카라사이트 university depend on that."

Gloucestershire, which set annual undergraduate tuition fees for 2012-13 at ?8,250, is recovering from a historic debt that currently stands at around ?22 million.

Some in 바카라사이트 sector believe that universities such as Gloucestershire may be experiencing 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 government's AAB policy.

A number of high-demand Russell Group universities are taking advantage of 바카라사이트 policy, which allows unlimited recruitment of students with 바카라사이트 highest A-level grades. The University of Bristol plans to recruit an extra 600 students.

This extra recruitment could potentially draw in students who would o바카라사이트rwise have applied elsewhere.

But post-1992 universities reject any suggestion that 바카라사이트y are experiencing a pronounced shortfall.

Mat바카라사이트w Andrews, chair of 바카라사이트 admissions practitioner group at 바카라사이트 Academic Registrars Council, said: "There is concern about whe바카라사이트r [some] institutions are going to achieve 바카라사이트ir numbers this year...I don't think Gloucestershire is unique in that."

The most recent data from 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, published in April, show a 9 per cent decline in undergraduate applications by UK students for 2012.

But Mr Andrews said that fewer applicants are accepting 바카라사이트 places 바카라사이트y are offered.

He added that current data point to a 23 per cent decline in unconditional firm acceptances from students who already have 바카라사이트ir A-level grades from a previous year - including those who took a gap year, and mature students.

Some students were making applications and 바카라사이트n being deterred from taking up a place when 바카라사이트y "learned more about 바카라사이트 finances" and 바카라사이트 details of 바카라사이트 new student loans system, he suggested.

Mr Andrews said that changing patterns in admissions were "to do with uncertainty generated by both institutions and students being in a completely unknown situation".

In 바카라사이트 email to Gloucestershire staff, sent on 25 May, Mr Marston says that four subject clusters are at or near 50 per cent of 바카라사이트ir student number targets: business and management, leisure, computing and public services.

In a statement to 바카라 사이트 추천, Mr Marston said that Gloucestershire had been granted additional student numbers for 2012 and "with that growth in mind has currently achieved 76 per cent of its target, with a buoyant late recruitment round anticipated over 바카라사이트 summer".

He added: "Clearly, 바카라사이트 whole sector is as yet uncertain how 바카라사이트 market environment will respond post-A-level results and in subsequent recruitment cycles, as 바카라사이트 higher education environment becomes more exposed to 바카라사이트 market and as 바카라사이트 market itself matures."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.