OFFICIAL UCAS figures show an increase in the total number of students accepted onto courses at Northern Ireland Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
Welcoming the news the Minister for Employment and Learning, Dr. Stephen Farry said: “These figures clearly show that the Executive’s decisions to maintain tuition fees in Northern Ireland at an affordable level, while increasing the number of undergraduate places available at local Higher Education Institutions, has helped to ensure that those students that wish to study in Northern Ireland have the opportunity to do so.
“I recently announced 500 additional undergraduate places in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) bringing the total increase in student places to 1,200 by 2015.”
The total number of applicants accepted to Northern Ireland institutions has increased by 5.2%, rising from 9,549 in 2011 to 10,042 in 2012.