The government has gone big on announcing more places to meet undergraduate demand and there might be enough

Policy people at the Innovative Research Universities suggest that the 39 000 increase in Commonwealth Supported Places by 2023, “will just be sufficient” to meet demand for HE from the 15-29 year-old cohort. But the total 100 000 new places planned by 2030, “is a useful step,” but “will almost certainly fall short,” by 15 000.

While the government’s projections are based on population growth in the 15-29 cohort the IRU argues it underestimates, “the steady consistent rise in participation” in HE and VOCED and, “the need to re-skill or up-skill for people further into their working lives.”