Higher fees for students heading to Scotland
Tuition fees for non-Scottish students studying in Scotland are to rise by £500, the Scottish Executive has announced.
From 2006 most courses will be priced at £1,700 per year, while medical school courses will cost £2,700. Despite the hike, the fees will still be less than the amount being charged for courses at nearly all English universities from the same year: under variable tuition fees they will be £3,000.
Unlike under the new English system, English students heading across the border would have to pay the Scottish fees up-front, unless they take out a loan to cover them. They would still be entitled to the same grants and loans as those students who stay in England.
The lower fees payable in Scotland have prompted claims that "fees refugees" from England will flood to Scotland to save themselves money, meaning that Scottish students will be disadvantaged by having more competition for places. However, the Executive denies that this will happen.
"There is a real and pressing need to rebalance the relative costs of study between Scotland and elsewhere in the UK after the introduction of top-up fees of up to £3,000 in England next year," said Lifelong Learning Minister Nicol Stephen.
"Fees should be sufficiently high to affect demand but not too high to price Scottish universities out of the UK market. With this package of measures, I believe we've got it right."
The Executive's plans will first have to be approved by the Scottish Parliament in the autumn, as consultation is required before any changes are made. Scottish students are not affected: most will continue to have their fees paid for them, but will be subject to a Graduate Endowment, money from which goes towards support for future students.
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