Alastair Sim: Protecting Scottish students is a choice that shows political courage

THE Scottish Government is taking the necessary steps over tuition fees for students from the rest of the UK studying at Scotland's universities.

It is a choice which shows political courage and which is driven by circumstances which none of us would have chosen following fee-setting decisions taken south of the Border.

Crucially, these proposals protect what Scottish universities are able to offer Scottish learners.

They enable us to protect the number of places available to Scottish students, protecting them from any possibility of displacement by students from the rest of the UK.

They spread the benefit throughout the system - the Scottish Government money which can be re-assigned from paying for the teaching costs of rest-of-UK students at Scottish universities will be spread to all universities, to be invested in the quality of teaching and student experience which we are able to offer to all students.

So the proposals will benefit students at modern universities with predominantly Scottish student bodies, as well as students at our ancient universities.

They are also fair to learners from across the UK.

No-one will pay more per year than they do in England, and, as Scottish universities set their fees levels, they will do so in a way which enables them to continue to attract students from across the UK.

Universities will give urgent consideration to the bursaries and other means by which they can ensure that Scotland's great universities offer opportunities to able learners from diverse backgrounds throughout the UK.

• Alastair Sim is director of Universities Scotland