Experts have expressed concern that falling numbers of students entering into higher education may have a negative impact on the economy of Oxford and on university cities throughout the UK as a whole. Cities that are home to a number of university students see business flooding in from the student population, whether this is a boost to the number of patrons to local pubs or an increase in people getting their dissertations printed and bound at local printing companies.
Oxford University’s Students Union’s Vice President spoke about the drop in numbers and gave his views on the positive steps that can be taken to increase the number of applicants to Oxford, saying:
“University education is a great investment, both for individuals and nationally, and it’s encouraging to see that, for the moment, this message is getting through, and there hasn’t been a large drop in applications to Higher Education. However, Oxford still faces the challenge that students are put off applying – not just because of finance, but due to school history, media stereotypes, and perceptions that Oxford is not for them. Set against an overall backdrop of applications staying steady, Oxford must continue to keep finding new ways to encourage those with the talent to apply.”
Around 17,000 students apply to Oxford University each year and of these, 3,000 are offered a place. The application figures for this year are yet to be announced.