Cable comment on applicant numbers to English universities
Originally published by UK Liberal Democrats
"These encouraging figures demonstrate that students understand today more than ever that a university degree is an important investment for the rest of their lives.
"University is also a vital engine of social mobility so it is important that students from poorer backgrounds are not put off from applying. Today's figures - an all time high- clearly show they are not. Government is increasing funding for the National Scholarship programme, which Institutions can use to provide benefits including bursaries and grants, from £50m in this academic year to £150m in 2014-15.
"Thanks to this government's reforms, most new students will now not pay anything upfront, there is more financial support for those from poorer families and everyone will make lower loan repayments once they are in well paid jobs."