Thisyear,25,310studentswhohaveacceptedplacesinhighereducationinstitutionshaveputofftheirentryuntilnextyear,accordingtostatisticsonuniversityentranceprovidedbytheUniversityandCollegeAdmissionsService(UCAS).

Thatisarecord14.7%increaseinthenumberofstudentstakingagapyear.TonyHigginsfromUCASsaidthatthestatisticsaregoodnewsforeveryoneinhighereducation.“Studentswhotakeawell-plannedyearoutaremorelikelytobesatisfiedwith,andcomplete,theirchosencourse.Studentswhotakeagapyearareoftenmorematureandresponsible,”hesaid.

Butnoteveryoneishappy.OwainJames,thePsidentoftheNationalUnionofStudents(NUS),arguedthattheincreaseisevidenceofstudenthardship–youngpeoplearebeingforcedintoearningmoneybeforefinishingtheireducation.“Newstudentsarenowawarethattheyarelikelytoleaveuniversityupto￡15,000indebt.Itisnotsurprisingthatmoreandmorestudentsaretakingagapyeartoearnmoneytosupporttheirstudyforthedegree.NUSstatisticsshowthatover40%ofstudentsareforcedtoworkduringtermtimeandthefigureincreasesto90%duringvacatingperiods,”hesaid.