Isolated institutions face fall in applications

GEOGRAPHICALLY isolated universities may be losing out in the race for students as the introduction of tuition fees accelerates the trend for study close to home.

Dave Croot, lecturer in geography at the University of Plymouth, said initial figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the Southwest suggested the introduction of tuition fees is having a "very serious" impact on where students chose to study. He said similar patterns could be being repeated across the country.

Applications to Bristol University, Dr Croot said, were down just 1 per cent, while Exeter University, which is more remote, has seen a drop of 9 per cent and Plymouth, which is more remote still, has seen a drop of 19 per cent.