Almost 15,000 undergraduate students dropped out of their studies in the UK over a two-month period, figures suggest.

Previous figures from the Student Loans Company (SLC)?showed that 18,280 undergraduate students withdrew from their courses between the start of August 2022 and 21 February 2023.

?that this number had increased to 32,623 withdrawals for 2022-23 by the end of May ¨C 9 per cent more than by the same point in 2021-22, and the most since comparable figures began in 2018-19.

It also means that about 14,300 undergraduates withdrew over just two months ¨C a quarter more than did so over the same time period last year.

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The figures include full-time and part-time undergraduate students from the UK (excluding Scotland) and the European Union, who receive student funding.

The SLC cautioned that because the figures do not cover a full academic year, they should be treated with caution and could be revised at a later date.

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And because not all undergraduates receive student funding, the figures are not representative of the entire student body.

Of those who had withdrawn by the end of May this year,?about?90 per cent were from England, 6 per cent were from Wales, 3 per cent were from Northern Ireland and 1 per cent were from the EU.

The number of students dropping out from the EU and Northern Ireland decreased year-on-year, and stayed at a similar level for those from Wales.

By contrast, 11 per cent more young people from England withdrew from their courses than they did in 2021-22.

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About?96 per cent of undergraduates who withdrew from higher education providers were full-time students.

Overall, 2.1 per cent of all students withdrew from their studies by the end of May ¨C up from 1.9 per cent in 2021-22, and a record high.

At 7.7 per cent, this rate was highest among Welsh students doing a foundation degree, and lowest among fourth-year EU undergraduates.

The SLC said the irregular start to the 2020-21 academic year caused by the Covid-19 pandemic meant a number of courses started later than previous years, with some universities extending the ¡°cooling off¡± period before students become liable for tuition fees.

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Therefore, any comparisons should note that students may have withdrawn from their courses later than expected in 2020-21.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com