School leavers in Bury who fail to get the A-level grades they need for their chosen universities have been warned to move fast to beat an unprecedented squeeze on higher education places.

Thousands of pupils across the borough were receiving their A-level results today and it is feared that those who just miss their grades face tough competition to find a college place. University applications are at a record high as students seek to avoid the credit crunch by studying. It means some pupils at Bury Grammar, Holy Cross and Bury College face an uncertain period during clearing. An extra 60,000 people have applied for university this year, an increase of around 11 percent, while the government has only agreed to fully fund a rise of around 3,000 full-time students. More than a third of the increase comes from mature applicants aged 21 and over, many seeking a haven from the economic recession that has fuelled unemployment and made jobs scarce. Last year, 44,000 applicants who had just missed their required grades were able to get on another course through the universities clearing system. But clearing body UCAS says it expects only around half that number of places to be available this year because of the extra demand. "The increased pressure on places this year means that competition is likely to be more intense and it will be a challenging time for everyone," said Diana Warwick, chief executive of the vice-chancellors' body Universities UK. "The clearing process for this summer will be briefer and tighter than in previous years."