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More students and fewer staff are forecast in higher education over the next few years, while buildings are plunging intodisrepair.

A study to be published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England next month shows that cash allocated by universities and colleges to meet health and safety legislation on their estates falls short by more than Pounds 260 million.

Another Pounds 60 million is needed to meet accepted standards of routine maintenance.

Meanwhile, strategic planssubmitted to the Higher Education Funding Council show institutions intend to recruit slightly abovethe overall maximum set by the council for full-time home and European Union students.

They also want to recruit more overseas and part-time students, while expecting to reduce staff by 1.8 per cent.