Applications to Kingston University have plummeted to below the national average since it announced it would charge close to the maximum level of tuition fees.

The university last year announced it would levy the majority of students £8,500 a year from September 2012, with some paying the top rate of £9,000.

A total of 5,590 fewer would-be students had applied for courses at the institution by the January 15 deadline, according to figures released by university application service Ucas this week.

The 14.5 per cent drop in applications, from 38,468 to 32,878, compares to an average 9.9 per cent decrease in England.

Edward Davey MP voted to allow universities to treble tuition fees, despite marches by Kingston University students and a pre-election pledge to scrap the charges.

Ciaran Smith, who spoke against tuition fees at a council meeting aged 17, in December 2010, called on him to change his mind.

He said: “Since Kingston University has a higher intake of students from lower-income backgrounds, it makes obvious sense applications would plummet given the Government's ideological cuts that force potential students to face an even greater burden of debt than those in previous years.”

The university said the financial implications could range from minimal to significant, depending on how many students enroll in September.

A spokesman said it was partly a readjustment following an above-average increase in applications in recent years.

She said “In addition, Kingston has been particularly successful in attracting applicants from families with no background of higher education and we know these students are more likely to be put off by the higher fees instigated by the Government.” MP Edward Davey reiterated his support for the Government’s fee policy, which he said stopped upfront payments, and delayed repayment until earnings hit £21,000.

He pointed to larger falls in applications at Roehampton, City and Surrey universities, and said nationally the number of mature students applying fell the most, with little difference among teenagers.

He said: “While we were not able to deliver on things we had in the manifesto, we have delivered on the underlying issue of fairness.”