Slump in Scots seeking to study north of Border

THE number of Scots applying to study at Scotland’s universities has slumped by 16 per cent as young people delay their decisions amid concerns about the financial burden posed by studying for a degree.

Figures released by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) showed overall applications to Scottish universities fell by 4.5 per cent in Nov-ember when compared with the same month last year.

The statistics also showed a bigger drop among Scots applying to go to university across the UK as a whole than among school leavers from England, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Applications to Scottish universities were also down from English and Northern Irish students, who will be required to pay tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year.

But there was a near 5 per cent rise in the number of applications from EU students, who, along with Scottish students, are exempt from fees north of the Border.

The number of applications from foreign students from outside the EU, who pay the highest fees of all, rose by 21.2 per cent.

UCAS said it was still too early to make predictions about student numbers, with the majority of courses having an application deadline of 15 January.

But critics said the introduction of £9,000-a-year fees, as well as uncertainty over higher education and the economic outlook, was putting people off going to university.

Robin Parker, president of National Union of Students (NUS) in Scotland, said: “This drop in applications from Scottish students from the same period last year is very worrying. We’ll not know the true picture until the final application numbers are released in January, but Westminster’s betrayal of students by trebling of fees down south is clearly being felt right across the UK.

“This is even though the hard campaigning work of students means that Scottish students won’t pay tuition fees to study here, so there is no reason at all for Scottish students who want to study in Scotland being put off going to university.”

Alastair Sim, director of umbrella organisation Universities Scotland, said Scottish students were delaying their decision on whether to go to university due to an uncertain economic outlook.

He said: “There are still seven weeks to go to the end of the application process, so it is still too early in the cycle to know what the final outcome will be.

“The past year has seen unprecedented changes not only within the sector across the UK but also in a very difficult economic climate, so it is not surprising that potential students are taking time to make decisions about their future and are taking slightly longer to apply to university.”

UCAS’ chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said it was still too early to draw any conclusions, adding that the organisation was “gearing up for a possible late surge” in applications in January.

But Labour’s higher education spokeswoman Claire Baker MSP said: “This is the second month running that the number of applications from Scottish students has dropped and the second time the SNP government has attempted to claim this is not a trend.

“The fact is, when university applications are dropping at a faster rate here in Scotland than anywhere else in the UK, alarm bells should be ringing.”

Lib Dem education spokesman Liam McArthur said: “These figures are only a snapshot. Nevertheless, they provide a further wake-up call for the Scottish Government about the dangers of allowing Scottish universities carte blanche in setting fees for students from the rest of the UK.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said the figures included only a “small proportion” of anticipated applications.

He said: “While applications to Scottish institutions and from Scottish pupils are broadly on a par with the rest of the UK, conclusions cannot be drawn from these figures. We await further publications with interest.”