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According to the Independent Commission on Fees (ICE), there has been a "clear drop" in prospective English students' university applications due to the rising cost of tuition.Panel chairman of ICE, Will Hutton, himself an Oxford college principal, said: "Although it is too early to draw any firm conclusions, this study provides initial evidence that increased fees have an impact on application behaviour.
"There is a clear drop in application numbers from English students when compared to their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland."
The latest figures from Ucas, for June, showed a ten per cent fall in university applications from people in England compared to 2011.
In total there were around 15,000 fewer applications than last year, which equates to one in 20 of those who were expected to apply.
The average tuition fee in England is now £8,385, rising to £8,507 next year. In Wales and Northern Ireland, tuition fees are capped at around £3,500. Although these countries have also received fewer applications, they only saw a 2.9 per cent and 4.5 per cent drop in applications respectively.
