The Government had previously said that it would restrict extra student numbers for 2009/10 to 10,000.
NUS President Wes Streeting said:
“We are pleased that the Prime Minister has listened to our concerns and decided to increase the number of university places for next year, in light of the huge increase in applications and the fact that employment opportunities for young people are lower than they have been for a generation.
“This is clearly the time to invest in training and education. 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 additional university places now than to shoulder the burden of long-term unemployment later.”