There has been a fall in the number of young people from England and Wales applying to go to university.

But there has been an increase in the number of applications from pupils in Scotland, leading some to blame the fall in younger applicants on the fear of debt.

The drop in applications from under 21s comes as the government continues with its drive to encourage more people to enter higher education.

Applications from under 21s in England fell 0.4% in the past year, while applications from the same age group in Wales dropped 0.1%.

Fear of debt

Over the same time, applications rose 2.8% in Scotland and 0.4% in Northern Ireland, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Student leaders say the figures show bright pupils are being put off going to university by fear of debt.

The average student in England is believed to graduate with a debt of �10,000.

The NUS national president Mandy Telford said the drop in applications from younger people should be a "wake-up call" to the government.

Applications from under 21s

England - down 0.4% Wales - down 0.1% Scotland - up 2.8% N. Ireland - up 0.4%

"Their aim to widen participation is in danger of missing the mark," she said.

"The devolved nations, which have all made moves to create fairer funding systems for their students, show far higher increases in application rates.

"It is hardly surprising that young people see five-figure debt levels on graduation as a deterrent, especially those from lower socio-economic groups."

Scottish students do not have to pay tuition fees, as about half of those in England do.

Once Scottish students have graduated and are working, they begin to pay back fees and loans.

In Northern Ireland, from September, students whose parental income is less than �15,000 a year will be entitled to a grant or bursary of up to �1,500.

And the Welsh Assembly recently voted to reintroduce grants for students from less well-off families.

'Damning statistics'

While figures for the under 21s are down, the overall picture is one of expansion.

By the end of June, there had been a 1.9% increase in the number of applications to full-time undergraduate courses at UK universities from 414,893 to 422,574.

The Liberal Democrats say the statistics are "damning".

The higher education spokesman David Rendel said the government should have abolished upfront tuition fees, as Scotland had.

"No matter how the government chooses to spin the figures the fact remains that they are way off course of meeting their target of 50% participation in higher education by 2010," he said.

The chief executive of UCAS Tony Higgins said:

"The challenge for the UK higher education sector is to encourage more students from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds to consider higher education as an option, and many universities and colleges are actively developing initiatives with their local communities.

"I hope that over the next few years these developments will be reflected in rising figures for applicants in the under-21 age group."

The higher education minister Margaret Hodge says the government's target is achievable because 41% of 18 to 30-year-olds were already going to university or college.

She said: "The under-21 home applications may be down slightly, but the 21-24 year old home applications are up by 5% and that age range will also contribute towards the target, as will those aged 25-30, and applications from them are also up.

And she said in previous years the final figures for applications had proved to be two to three percentage points higher than applicants at this point in the year.

The government is reviewing England's system of student loans and tuition fees and in the autumn is expected to announce details of how it intends to change the system.

The Conservative's higher education spokesman Alistair Burt said: "In order to meet the target of 50% of all 18 year olds having some form of higher education experience by 2010, some 30,000 more students per year will be required.

"The application figures produced today suggest that student numbers will be well short of this."

He accused the government of indecision over future student funding.

The results of the review had been expected in spring.

Scottish lure

In Scotland, there was a steep rise (18.3%) in the number of people aged 21-24 applying to university.

Among the over 25s, there was a 5% increase in applications.

The Scottish Executive welcomed the increase in applications.

A spokesman said: "Encouraging more people into higher education is important to close the opportunity gap in our society and support the development of a smart, successful Scotland."