BOLTON Institute has launched a major marketing drive - and expect a boost in student numbers next year.

The Institute was awarded the university status they had coveted for years in April.

And bosses are expecting to swell their 8,000-strong student ranks once word gets around about the boost in status.

Institute chiefs have received a lot of inquiries about about places for the forthcoming academic year.

But while they feel it will not have an effect on this year's intake, since by the time the announcement was made most students had already made their applications, they believe it will increase numbers in 2005.

A Bolton Institute spokesman said: "We are extremely busy with inquiries and the fact we have university title is a great talking point, but it is really too early to say whether this is making a difference to student numbers for this year.

"The people we are confirming places for now are the people who applied to us before the university title news was announced.

"A-Level results were only announced yesterday and so the next few weeks will be extremely busy. We have two open days this Saturday and Sunday when we will be confirming places for people who call us following their results."

Institute student union president Catherine Wilkes said she thought it was unlikely that there will be more students this year.

She said: "It's a bit difficult to comment. The Institute has not really been marketed as a university because we only found out that it was going to be a university late on in the year.

"The name has not even been changed yet so people outside of Bolton will probably not even know it is a university."

The Institute has stepped up its marketing with television and press advertisements.

Miss Wilkes said she expected more people will apply next year not only because of the new status but also to begin university education before the higher new tuition fees are introduced.

The Institute is expected to submit its preferred choice of new title to the Privy Council in September.

The Privy Council will then officially announce the new name at the end of 2004.