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Applications to study at university in 2010 have surged by more than a fifth; partly because of a large number reapplying after missing out in 2009. According to UCAS, the body which processes higher education applications, more than 570,000 people applied for degree courses over the 2008-2009 academic year; an increase of 22.9 percent on the previous year. Evidence of how the recession was hitting youth employment particularly badly was evident with the figures showing applications from 21 to 24 year olds up by nearly 45 percent and from over 25s up by more than two thirds.