SCOTTISH universities have seen a rise in the number of students accepted on to courses this year at a time when the rest of the UK has seen a sharp decrease.
The latest figures show the numbers of people from the UK and EU starting courses at UK higher education institutions stands at 408,500, down 12% on last year.
It has been suggested that the situation in the rest of the UK has been fuelled by fewer students than expected achieving top grades and also by rising tuition fees, which tripled to a maximum £9000.
However, in Scotland, which has not introduced fees for home students, numbers are up 2%. UK and EU students starting at English institutions are down 14%, Wales has seen a 13% dip, though in Northern Ireland, like Scotland, the figures have risen 2%.
Universities Minister David Willetts acknowledged that fewer students will go to university this year.
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