Scotland
Image: Kim Traynor / Geograph

Scotland to end free tuition for EU students

The Scottish government is to end free university tuition for EU (European Union) students from next year.

Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said the decision had been made as a result of the Brexit vote.

However, he indicated that the decision was hastened by the “double-whammy” of Brexit and Covid-19.

The Boar reported in May that the move was being considered to help the higher education sector deal with a £500 million black hole, brought on as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

EU students were eligible for free tuition in Scottish universities, and this free tuition was subsidised by international and non-Scottish UK student fees of more than £30,000 and £9,250 a year respectively.

The policy costs £97 million per year, and there were questions about the legal obligation to continue this funding at the end of the Brexit transition period.

Speaking to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Lochlead told MSPs: “Our EU law obligations cease at the end of the transition period in a few months and continuing with this arrangement for 2021/22 would significantly increase the risk of any legal challenge.

“It is therefore with a heavy heart that we have taken the difficult decision to end free education for new EU students from the academic year 2021/22 onwards as a consequence of Brexit.”

EU students who have already started their studies, or who will start in autumn, will not be affected by this decision, and will be tuition-free for the entirety of their course.

The minister said: “I can, however, confirm that we will not remove the funding we currently devote to paying EU student fees from the overall funding for the sector. On current trends and following further analysis, we estimate this could be up to £19m for 21/22.”

It is therefore with a heavy heart that we have taken the difficult decision to end free education for new EU students from the academic year 2021/22 onwards as a consequence of Brexit

– Richard Lochhead, Scottish Higher Education Minister

Mr Lochhead stressed that it was the UK government that had turned its back on Europe, not Scotland.

He said: “That is the stark reality of Brexit and a painful reminder that our country’s decisions are affected by UK policies that we do not support and did not vote for.”

Former SNP minister Alex Neil, who suggested that the policy should be scrapped earlier this year, told the Daily Record: “We should start to make savings on EU students who come here and get taught for nothing.

“We are teaching, in some cases, rich EU students and we are in danger of not being able to fund education for Scottish students.

“If Brexit is going to happen on 31 December, then I certainly don’t think we can afford to continue to subsidise rich European kids at the expense of our own kids.

“In any case, we objected to doing it in the first place, but we were forced to by EU rules.”

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Jamie Greene said: “This is a welcome move, and some would argue long overdue, which will provide a much-needed cash boost for Scotland’s universities.

“The key is that we use this policy reversal to improve the fortune of Scottish students.

“Under the SNP, Scottish students have been repeatedly overlooked in order to fund the free tuition of European students.”

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