What happened to arts students when the fees went up?

By Dany Louise. They became increasingly anxious about their prospects – so universities redoubled efforts to make their graduates employable. When tuition fees tripled last year, with many universities setting their rates at the highest possible amount of £9,000, arts professionals in the country held their breath.
Would the introduction of higher fees create a "dearth of training for people who don't have independent wealth or rich parents", as actor Clare Higgins put it?
The truth is, it's still hard to pinpoint the impact of last year's fee rises. Although applications to creative arts and design course fell by about 15% in 2011-12, this year's Ucas figures show some signs of a recovery. The number of students hoping to study art and design in September is up 2.4%. Read more...