Internal university data seen by Times Higher Education have revealed the first named case of an English institution anticipating a decline in recruitment for 2013-14.

The University of Central Lancashire was on course for fewer undergraduate recruits this year, despite a rise in admissions nationally.

Uclan¡¯s number of home and European Union firm acceptances ¨C revealed in internal papers seen by THE ¨C declined by 3 per cent from 3,375 in 2012-13 to 3,4 this year, according to a university analysis on 28?June.

Nationally, firm acceptances were 5 per cent up on the previous year at that point in the admissions cycle.

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The final figure for acceptances across the UK was 9 per cent higher than the previous year, according to Ucas. THE asked Uclan for a final recruitment figure but the university did not provide one. The leaked document also shows that applications to Uclan fell by 5 per cent.

In England, expansion in enrolment at several universities under the coalition¡¯s uncapped system for applicants with ABB at A level or the equivalent suggests that other institutions may have suffered a second consecutive year of falling undergraduate numbers in a vastly more competitive recruitment environment. The University of Exeter, for example, increased its undergraduate intake by 600 students this year, considerably reducing the pool of applicants for other institutions.

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Graham Baldwin, Uclan¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor, said his institution had ¡°continued its focus on delivering a high-quality student experience and maintaining and improving its academic learning environment¡±.

He added: ¡°For 2013-14, our overall enrolments are comfortably within our resource planning target, enabling us to continue our investment plans in new areas of course development and research.¡±?

The university papers also disclose that Uclan¡¯s Cyprus campus ¨C criticised by Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, after it was built in the buffer zone between the island¡¯s Greek and Turkish communities ¨C has received just 68 applications from home and EU undergraduates this year.

It has also received just three postgraduate applications.

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Uclan has previously said that student numbers at the campus, which opened in October 2012, are envisaged to grow ¡°towards 5,000¡± within five years.

Dr Baldwin said that the Cyprus campus ¡°is proving successful, having opened on time and on budget. With our new course developments we are on target to reach our enrolment projections.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com