Scottish independence: Funding fees for EU students would cost £150m, Mike Russell reveals

Scotland would face a bill of £150 million to fund students from the rest of the UK who would be entitled to free tuition after independence, it has been revealed.

The figures were revealed by education secretary Michael Russell, who said there were at present about 20,000 such students in Scotland.

A legal loophole means students from the rest of the UK pay fees in Scotland, while European students are exempt.

Conservative education spokesman Liz Smith said it exposed one aspect of the “extra costs” Scottish higher education would face under independence. She added: “It further highlights the SNP’s unsustainable approach to funding higher education.

“We know that the funding gap is already growing day by day, with the serious implications this carries for the future of our universities.

“This sum on top of that gives a clear indication of the size of the black hole that would be left in every education budget if the SNP got their way.”

EU rules prevent “discrimination” against students from another member state, meaning all EU students are also fees-exempt. But students from the rest of the UK are not part of a neighbouring state, so can be charged.

The Scottish Government says talks are under way to find some means of charging EU students. A spokeswoman said: “We are maintaining free access to university for Scots based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay.”