But there are alternatives, Tutors Directory reports         

With the recession biting hard and forcing a squeeze on university funding, many students will this year be facing an anxious wait to find out if they have secured a university place.

Figures released by admissions group UCAS have shown that a significant increase in the amount of applications has coincided with a cap on funding for extra university places with the government dropping the number of extra places from the planned 15,000 to just 10,000.

Currently applications to universities throughout the country are up by 9.7 per cent on last year and UCAS has suggested that by the beginning of autumn approximately 600,000 students could have applied.

This could mean that up to 50,000 students may miss out on a university place this year.

David Willetts, the shadow secretary of state for universities, has warned of a looming education crisis.

He said: ‘Young people are becoming the biggest victims of this recession. The number of young people not in education, employment or training is already at record levels and now we are on course to have a record number of young people refused a university place.’

The Russell Group, which represents the leading universities in the United Kingdom, has also called for assurances that the quality of university education will not be affected by growing student numbers and a shortage of funding.

Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of The Russell group, said: ‘The Russell Group supports the government’s longstanding aim to ensure that more students get the opportunity to benefit from going to university. However, any growth in the number of students must be funded in a sustainable way that will not create real and long term difficulties for UK universities and undermine the quality of the student experience.’

New websites such as www.notgoingtouni.co.uk  are fighting back and have tried to provide as much information to students as possible, highlighting options such as apprenticeships, distance learning courses and scholarships.

The site offers inspirational stories from successful people in all walks of life who have achieved their goals without going to university as well as drawing attention to available apprenticeships in sectors such as business, construction, health and social care and retail.

The site works with big companies such as Ernest & Young, the NHS, Sainsbury’s and the Royal Shakespeare Company to offer opportunities and alternatives to school leavers unsure about what the future might hold.  

Examples include a sponsored BA (Hons) Business Management degree which is run by Logica allowing a student to gain a good degree without being saddled with debt and hands-on apprenticeships with the NHS which is set to offer over 5000 vacancies next year.

They have also published a digital Survival Pack which gives school leavers all the information they need to explore the options available to them in the coming year. 

Another website meeting the needs of new school leavers is Edge (www.edge.co.uk) which has a section of its site devoted to helping young adults understand their options after leaving school.

With a range of tools like quizzes, videos, case studies and useful links the site allows young people to communicate and network, spreading ideas about possible career paths and helping them to understand how different options might work for them. 

With such a big shortfall in the number of available university places, students will need all the help that they can get.