Fewer students from across the UK are applying to come to Northern Ireland universities.

In a continuing trend, applications from the Republic of Ireland in particular are down by almost 25% on the same time last year.

More Northern Ireland students are applying to do higher education courses, but the number has not risen by as much as the national average increase of 2.5%.

Applications to Scottish universities from Scottish students have increased by 5%.

Tuition fees

Scottish students do not have to pay tuition fees until they graduate and some receive grants.

Despite the fact that Northern Ireland students will have to pay tuition fees in Scotland, unlike Scottish students, even more applied to universities there than last year.

BBC Northern Ireland education correspondent Maggie Taggart said: "Overall , it seems that the lack of grants and tuition fees results in less mobility of students."

In January, figures showed more Northern Ireland students than ever started university.

Increase

There was an increase of almost 9% in those who enrolled in third level colleges last October.

Throughout the UK, approximately 11,000 students from Northern Ireland started university, an increase of about 5% on the previous year's figure.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) warned that part of the increase locally was due to the inclusion of Stranmillis University College and Enniskillen College of Agriculture in statistics for the first time.

The figures also showed that approximately 19% fewer students came from Scotland and the number from England was down by 58%.