Out of 105,000 applicants, some 72,000 students have met the entry criteria of colleges and universities and will start their studies in September, the state secretary in charge of higher education announced. László Palkovics said that the total number was down by 1,500 from last year, due to demographic reasons. Palkovics also said that out of the 72,000 freshmen, 55,800 will attend state-financed courses.