SNP ‘vindicated’ over tuition charges

THE Scottish Government has claimed its position on tuition fees has been “vindicated” after figures showed the country’s universities have been protected from the worst of a UK-wide downturn in applicant numbers.

Figures published yesterday by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (Ucas) showed a 1.1 per cent fall in the number of Scots hoping to study in their home country, with a 5.6 per cent fall also recorded in the number of English applicants.

Scots will remain exempt from tuition fees while studying in Scotland, but as of the start of the next academic year in the autumn, students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales will pay up to £9,000 a year for their courses.

While the number of English applicants to Scottish universities fell, it did so at a lower rate than in England, where there was a near 10 per cent decline. The number of Scots applying to study south of the Border fell by 16.4 per cent.

Education secretary Mike Russell said the figures were a “vindication” of the Scottish Government’s decision not to charge Scots for tuition, but critics said the rising number of European Union students – who are also exempt from fees – “laid bare the inherent inequalities” in the funding arrangements.

The Ucas figures, which compared January applicant numbers with the same period last year, showed that, overall, there was a 0.2 per cent rise in the number of people applying to study in Scotland, compared with an 8.5 per cent fall in England, where all students will pay the new higher rate tuition fees. The deadline for university applications on most courses was 15 January.

However, the Scottish total included a 6 per cent rise in the number of applicants from the EU and a 25 per cent rise in foreign students from outside the EU, masking the fall in Scots, English and Northern Irish applicants.

Mr Russell said: “[These] figures will be welcome reading for Scotland’s education sector and the resilience shown by applications to Scotland compared to the rest of the UK are a vindication of the approach the Scottish Government has taken on student fees and funding the sector.

“The full picture around acceptance figures will emerge later this year, but high levels of applications from abroad reflect the excellent reputation Scottish universities enjoy abroad. We are also taking action to protect places at Scottish institutions for Scottish students, which forms part of our work on reforming post-16 education in this country.”

The National Union of Students (NUS) said the performance of Scotland’s universities provided a “ringing endorsement” of the Scottish Government’s decision on fees.

Robin Parker, NUS Scotland president, said: “Scottish applications have held up well – particularly when compared to elsewhere in the UK.

“With applications in England showing a drop of almost 10 per cent, it’s clear £9,000 fees are putting huge numbers of students off, and cutting off opportunities for people to study, reskill and get the education that gets them a job.

“Overall, applications to study in Scotland are close to steady, which is great news. At a time of high youth unemployment, we now need to build further on this year’s increase in places.”

But there was criticism from the Conservatives, who said the increasing number of students from the EU – who are exempt from fees – meant taxpayers were “footing the bill for the tuition fees of foreign nationals”.

Liz Smith, the party’s education spokeswoman, said: “These figures lay bare the true extent of the inherent inequalities of the SNP’s policy on fees. A huge increase in students from the European Union has seen a coinciding fall in the number of students applying from the rest of the UK. At a time when budgets are tight, the Scottish Government is duty bound to explain to taxpayers why they are being asked to foot the bill for the tuition fees of foreign nationals.”

The education secretary has previously held talks with the European Commission over the introduction of a “service charge” or “management fee” for EU students studying in Scotland, however, this remains some way off.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s ancient universities said they had seen notable rises in the number of applications from Scots. Application figures are different from applicant numbers in that one applicant can apply for a number of courses at the same institution.

Edinburgh University said applications from Scots was up 15 per cent, while there had been a 3 per cent increase in English applications. St Andrews recorded an 11 per cent increase in applications from Scots, while Glasgow was up 6.5 per cent.

Aberdeen saw a 5 per cent increase in Scots applications, while Dundee remained flat on the same period last year.