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The University of Nottingham has seen a major increase in enquiries from prospective students aiming to embark on a degree course in 2012.
Latest figures show the number of people booking onto the University’s undergraduate Open Days — held in June and September — is up by 48 per cent on this time last year. The Open Days are an opportunity for prospective students to find out more about undergraduate life at The University of Nottingham, to meet tutors and current students, and see the campus for themselves.
The University has also seen a 26 per cent increase in calls to its undergraduate enquiry centre, and a 22 per cent increase in prospectus requests.
The surge in interest comes in the wake of the University’s announcement that it plans to set undergraduate fees at £9,000 per year from 2012, subject to agreement by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA).
The fees will replace funding being withdrawn by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and allow the University to invest further in a world-class student experience that has made Nottingham one of the most popular universities in the UK.
Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar of the University, said: “These figures are significant because they are an early indicator of levels of interest from prospective undergraduates looking to start courses in September 2012. It is clear that interest in a Nottingham degree has not diminished in light of the proposed new fee arrangements — in fact, we have seen greater interest than in previous years."
Proposed new undergraduate fee levels were announced alongside a substantial package of financial aid for students, to ensure that the University continues to attract the best and the brightest, whatever their background.
The University will be offering an additional £4m to support new entrants in 2012, with students from lower-income families benefitting from bursaries and, in some cases, fee waivers. This adds to the £6m which the University already invests in these initiatives.
This broad and progressive package of financial aid will include direct support for students with their living costs, and additional provision will be targeted towards foundation year students, local students, students with disabilities, those with responsibilities as carers and students formerly in care.
Strong interest in this year’s summer Open Days comes after figures released in February by UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, which showed that Nottingham is now the third most popular university in the UK.
The UCAS figures showed that more than 49,000 prospective students applied to study at the University this year — around nine applicants for each of the 5,500 places available for first-year undergraduates. Applications were up 7.6 per cent on last year.
The last year has seen a string of major successes for Nottingham, including its best-ever score in the National Student Survey (NSS), a move into the Global Top 75 in the QS World Rankings, and being named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions.
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May Fest 2011 is on Saturday May 7, 11am to 5.30pm, at The University of Nottingham. The University is throwing open its doors to the community – with heaps of free activities for all ages. The Physics Buskers, thunder and lightning on demand and brain games. Get a glimpse of some of the amazing things that are happening on your doorstep. Visit: www.nottingham.ac.uk/mayfest
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news