The University of Edinburgh is to cut places for incoming UK undergraduates in 2010 by nearly a third, in attempt to increase student satisfaction through higher funding per place.

The news comes despite a 12 per cent rise in university applicants since 2009, a figure increased by the knock on effect of tougher competition for places last year.

The London School of Economics and Essex, amongst others, have also reduced their intake for 2010, whilst other universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, King’s College London, Imperial College London and Warwick have frozen places.

The Sunday Times reported last weekend that Edinburgh is to make the largest cut 1,300 places, though sources close to the University have said the figure is more likely to be 800, excluding potential cuts in Moray House students.

“These cuts mean there are more disappointed applicants this year,” said Bahram Bekhradnia, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute.

“Universities will be faced with a choice of recruiting more students with lower amounts of money, which will inevitably damage quality; and on the other hand, cutting student numbers, which will be very hard on potential students.”

David Willetts, the shadow universities minister, said: “The government is not providing the extra university places for the extra young people. The worst is not yet over.

“Young people are clearly hardest hit by the recession — there’s been a surge in youth unemployment.”

There are also fears that the University will incur fines for over-recruiting UK and EU students.

Student’s Association President Thomas Graham told The Student that due to accepting such a large number of students for the 09/10 academic year, the University is only receiving funding for around 18,000 UK and EU students, despite having over 19,000 students in this category.

Graham said that though decreased student numbers would take pressure off of accommodation and teaching services, there are concerns that cutting numbers will affect the University’s goals to ‘widen participation’ in all social classes.

Published 26 January 2010

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