THE number of people applying to go to university in Wales for 2012 has fallen compared with the previous year, official figures have shown.

Applications organisation Ucas said following its deadline on January 15, the numbers intending to study in Welsh higher education institutions were down by 9.3% on 2011 figures to 60,527.

These compared with the UK wide figure of 8.3%.

The figures also showed a 1.9% reduction in the number of Welsh students applying to university in any location.

In Wales, the Welsh Government has agreed to subsidise tuition fees for undergraduates.

Under the plans Welsh domicile students will pay around £3,400 as opposed to the £9,000 charge facing their English counterparts.

Luke Young, president of the National Union of Students (NUS) Wales, said there were aspects of the statistics which were very concerning.

"The Ucas figures show the Welsh Government's decision to support the costs of Welsh students going to university was the right one,’’ he added.

"There is a substantially smaller drop in applications from Wales, which while not a cause for celebration, is a better position compared to students from England facing annual tuition fees of up to £9,000.

"But I am deeply concerned by the drop in applications from mature students.

"This is a worrying trend that raises serious questions as to whether certain types of students are being pushed away from higher education.

"It also raises questions as to the information and advice available to those outside the education system.’’ However, according to Amanda Wilkinson, director of Higher Education Wales, the number of applicants by the January deadline was still higher than in 2009.

"Applications will continue to be accepted up to June 30, 2012,’’ she added.

"So, we will need to ensure that nobody who could benefit from higher education is missing the opportunity due to a lack of clear information regarding the support on offer and the particular benefits of study in Wales.’’ Based on figures from Ucas, Wales had the highest proportionate fall in university applications of any nation in the UK.

There was a 12.3% fall from English applicants to 36,195, just over half of the total applications to Welsh institutions.

Scottish numbers were down 39.5% and Northern Irish 15.3%, with Welsh applicants dropping by 4.5%.

While EU applicants were also down by 13.2%, numbers rose significantly from outside the EU by 12%.