UNIVERSITY Campus Suffolk (UCS) has announced a total 11.2 per cent increase in applications to its full-time courses offered across Suffolk and in Yarmouth.

UNIVERSITY Campus Suffolk (UCS) has announced a total 11.2 per cent increase in applications to its full-time courses offered across Suffolk and in Yarmouth.

The UCS learning network, with centres in Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Otley and in Ipswich at Suffolk New College, has seen the biggest increase, with a 39pc rise in applications compared to last year.

While UCS has managed to attract large numbers of local students, it has also seen a number of applications from the surrounding counties, across the UK and a small number from the EU.

'We are very pleased to see an increase in demand for places,' said Lucy Whitmore, head of admissions at UCS, which has its main base in Ipswich.

'This increase in applications further cements the importance of university level education being available locally, particularly during a time of economic difficulty.

'We are seeing a number of people returning to studying, making themselves more appealing to employers or more confident in their current profession.'