THE number of school leavers applying to go to the University of York has fallen.

Applications from students applying for courses starting this autumn at the university fell by five per cent on last year, when there was a 3.1 per cent increase.

The university received a total of nearly 19,000 applications, competing for just over 2,000 places, with 54 per cent from women and 46 per cent from men.

But at York St John University College the number of applications has gone up by three per cent, compared with the same time last year.

The statistics follow a record number of university applications last year, when students rushed to sign up for courses, worried by the prospect of the introduction of top-up fees from September this year.

The picture in York follows a national trend, with the latest statistics from UCAS - the organisation responsible for managing applications to UK higher education courses - showing a 3.4 per cent decrease in the number of students applying by the January 15 closing date.

Nevertheless, the total figure of 371,683 applications represents an increase of 5.2 per cent when compared to the 2004 closing date.

This would be equivalent to an increase of 2.6 per cent per annum if viewed across the two-year period.

Women continue to make more applications to higher education than men.

As at January 15 there were a total of 208,029 (56 per cent) female applicants in comparison with 163,654 male (44 per cent).

University of York director of admissions and schools liaison, Connie Cullen, said: "We are neither surprised nor are we alarmed by this fall in applications.

"We knew the pendulum would swing back after last year's increase.

"But the University of York still receives nine applications per place, and, over the last five years, applications have gone up by 21.5 per cent, so the overall trend remains upwards."

Pauline Aldous, registrar at York St John University College said: "York St John University College has increased its applications and this is pleasing in an uncertain new recruitment environment where we are all dealing with variable tuition fess and new student finance arrangements for the first time."

Anthony McClaran, chief executive of UCAS said: "While January 15 is an important milestone in the applications cycle, it is important to realise that applications continue to be received right up until term begins in September / October.

"Last year, nearly 138,000 applicants submitted applications after the initial January 15 closing date."

To try to prevent teenagers opting out of higher education, the Government published its plans to reform higher education on January 8.

These mean that if the Government's proposed Higher Education Bill gets the go-ahead, from September, up-front fees would be removed.

No full-time undergraduate student, or parent of a full-time undergraduate student, would have to pay any fees before they went to university or while studying.

Graduates would only start paying back their loans after they have left university and started earning over £15,000 a year.

Updated: 10:30 Friday, February 17, 2006