Universities cut back on 'clearing' places

THOUSANDS of A-level candidates face disappointment this week because universities have accepted more students than they can afford to take. Cuts in government fees to arts and social science courses, announced after the universities had offered places to students, have caused severe problems.

Universities have been told to keep entry numbers down to last year's levels, but the fees they receive for each new student have been cut by pounds 550 to pounds 1,300 per year. Even students with the right number of points when A-level results come out on Thursday may be rejected.

Because of the pressure on places, more than 30 departments in 10 universities have decided not to use the clearing system by which students who fail to get their first-choice grades are matched up with spare places on other courses. More are expected to follow.

There will be 260,000 places available this year - the same as last year - but the number of applicants has risen by five per cent from last year's 400,000. Universities are expected to honour conditional offers because they could be sued. But they will not be making many allowances for those who, even narrowly, miss their grades.

Many students who have dropped just one grade will be refused entry. Others with the right number of A-level points may be rejected. Guidelines from the Polytechnics Central Admissions Service (PCAS) say that a student who is asked for a B in English, plus two other Cs, can be rejected if he gets a C in English and two As.

Tony Higgins, chief executive of PCAS, which next month is to merge with the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA), said the greatest pressure would be in arts and social sciences: 'They always have the fewest places. There are likely to be even fewer now.' He advised students to consider a science- based course.

The new universities are likely to be the most affected. Anglia Polytechnic University, for instance, offered places to between 400 and 500 extra students this year but has now been told to keep its entry at 1992 levels for three years. Students who drop a grade will find themselves in trouble. The university has told PCAS that it will not take applications for social science courses during clearing. Francesca Key, who runs a summer hotline at Anglia for disappointed candidates, said: 'Parents are going to have steam coming out of their ears. We are not looking forward to next week.'

The Independent on Sunday and the Independent will publish official lists of vacancies available through clearing on higher education courses. Listings will appear three times a week from 25 August to 23 September.