Kingston University looks set to turn away record numbers of students next year following proposed Government cuts.

The official headcount of students at KU for 2009/2010 rose 7 per cent from last year but Government ministers have advised universities to reduce their intake this September.

Universities' Secretary John Denham has warned universities to avoid "over-recruiting" and hinted that financial penalties may be enforced to any institutions who do not heed this advice.   

The Government announced on Monday 1st February that £449 million is to be cut from university budgets next year, with thousands of students expected to miss out on course places.

Last year saw undergraduate applications at KU rise by 32 per cent and post-graduate applications rise by 58.5 per cent as record numbers of young people applied to university across the UK.

Peter Scott, Vice Chancellor at KU has criticised the Government plans as "short-sighted and unsustainable".

"Freezing student numbers is not sustainable. Even if ministers steel themselves to resist the pressure of headlines about school-leavers being denied places this summer, they will face the same pressure next year – and the year after."

"We cannot freeze growth – for long. All we can do is to slow, skew and underfund it".