Figures from higher education entry body UCAS reveal that the percentage of students accepted from the lower socio-economic groups increased by 6.9 per cent from 2006 to 2007. However this only amounted to 32.4 per cent of the student population.
The National Union of Students said there were more applications from poorer students before the introduction of top-up fees. President Gemma Tumelty branded the figures extremely worrying.
"Although the overall number of accepted applications has risen there are now fewer students from poorer backgrounds - exactly the students the sector is trying to attract," she said.
Tumelty said top-up fees were hampering the government's agenda to widen participation in higher education.
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