Landlords beware: student market begins to shrink

"Only applications for Oxbridge, medicine, veterinary science and dentistry have closed, with numbers broadly holding up on last year,"

There's a surprise. The last thing the Tories want is riff raff clogging up the university system, getting in the way of the Bullingdon Club japes and adventures. So they stick the fees up, land everyone with a £40,000 debt to start their working life and make the bursary system totally impenetrable.

That way, top universities go back to how they were half a century ago - the preserve of the rich with the very occasional working class oik let in so everyone can brandish them as the 'example' that proves that they are really egalitarian.

Employers will continue to reserve the best jobs to graduates, thus retaining the self-perputating establishment of Public School and Oxbridge.

Maybe with less graduates studying for degrees in such subjects as 'The Art of Toe Nail Varnishing + Theatre Studies' the fewer graduates that are left might become more employable.

I've always stated that only the best 2% academically should go to university and they should get a full tuition and living grant from the government as an investment in the future - and whether they are from poor or wealthy backgrounds the truly talented academically should shine.

Dumbing down Universites has been a big mistake and landlords and purveyors of cheap liquor establishments advertising binge student nights and even taxi drivers will all maybe learn to regret.

Geography is not a non - degree...there are so many areas of employment there ...urban planning, hydrogeology (water systems) etc...especially is a second degree is taken

Maybe the landlords will sell off their excess stock and help to correct house prices. Lower prices house prices means more money to spend on goods and services for young families meaning more jobs for the economy.

Interestingly, several conversations I've had with potential students and their parent indicate that despite the increase in tuition fees, strong demand for university places is still there. However, in line with this article, studying locally and living at home seems to be the key factor in the quest to save money. This compromise will of course apply only to the majority with parents on average incomes. The well heeled will continue to support their offspring in the best accommodation at the best universities as they always have, and will continue to do.