The increase in tuition fees has led to a "clear drop" in the number of English students applying for university places this autumn. There are 15,000 "missing" applicants  this academic year, according to the Independent Commission on Fees. Chairman Will Hutton said: "We're asking our young men and women to have more debt than any other country in the world -- it's higher than the average debt in the US. It's not clear whether those lost students this year will return next year, or if it's a storm warming of a worrying trend." But the commission's report says there does not seem to be an impact on poorer communities. The commission found there was no significant change in the application rate to the key universities, such as Oxford or Cambridge. The decline  in England has not been mirrored  in other parts of the UK where fees have not been raised, and the drop can only partly be explained by falling numbers of young people in the population. Students from Scotland attending Scottish universities do not pay fees, while the Welsh Assembly says it will pay fees above PS3,465 for Welsh students attending UK institutions. The average tuition fee at English universities this year is PS 8,385, rising to PS 8,507 next year. UK and EU students have access to government-backed loans to pay the fees. And the survey of 1,000 pupils aged 15-18, carried out this April, found that the majority expected to go on to higher education as people continue to understand that university remains a good long term investment  in their future. A spokeswoman at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is responsible for universities, said: "Students shouldn't be forced to put off going to university for financial reasons. Most students will not have to pay in advance, and no one will have to start paying back their student loan until they start to earn at least PS 2l,000 per year." Why is there still a drop of applicants though fees have not been raised?
Because the students live in poor communities. Because education is free for Scottish students. Because there are less young students in the area. Because Welsh students will pay fees abovePS3,465.