EARLY indications show applications to study at the University of Bolton are down by more than 10 per cent.

The university is currently is in the process of making cuts after having millions wiped of its budget as student numbers fell by just under 200 this academic year.

Bosses are blaming the rise in tuition fees and stricter controls on international students.

The university has about 13,000 students with 73 per cent doing a first degree.

Figures released by UCAS, the university admissions service, show the number of students in England applying to go to university has slumped by almost 10 per cent.

But bosses at the University of Bolton say its figure could be higher than that.

A spokesman said: “Commentary from the university sector suggests that although it is too early in the recruitment cycle to forecast recruitment levels for next September, the impact of last year's changes to the fee regime is still having a detrimental effect on overall student demand for higher education.

“Over the course of the last academic year, the University of Bolton has reviewed and refined its whole undergraduate provision, which makes direct comparison with figures in previous years less relevant.

“Current levels of applications to English universities are down, on average, about 10 per cent compared to this time last year. With a more streamlined, highquality and focused course provision and the university's continued commitment to raising entry standards, a direct comparison is difficult, but the current indications are that applications to Bolton are down by a figure slightly in excess of the English university average.”

Figures available show the number of university applications made by the young people living in the town fell from 11,301 in 2011 to 10,816 in 2012.

The latest UCAS statistics reveal almost 12,000 fewer people living in England have applied to start degree courses in autumn, 2013.

In total, 107,687 potential university students have already submitted their applications compared to 119,548 this time last year.

But Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of vicechancellors' group Universities UK, said the figures should be treated with caution as students still have more than a month to submit their application for the UCAS deadline in January