In January, the Government placed a cap on additional places in higher education for the next academic year, so that no more than 10,000 extra students may be admitted to English universities.
NUS President Wes Streeting said:
“It is encouraging to see a record breaking number of applications to Britain's universities, but we remain concerned about the numbers of places available as a result of the cap on numbers imposed by the Government.
“Unless there is an urgent expansion of places, universities will be unable to meet this demand. We are therefore calling on the Government to take immediate action to increase student numbers for the coming year.
“Applicants of all ages are clearly making the correct assessment that it is better to invest now in their education and training. We understand the current pressures on public finances, but the Government must also make the right long-term decisions. It is surely better to bear the cost of increasing opportunities in education and training now than to shoulder the burden of long-term unemployment later.”