Liberal Youth Scotland have expressed concern over the consequences of SNP Government proposals to raise the annual fees cap for English students studying in Scotland to £9,000.
Vice President Communications Ross Stalker said:
“Although the SNP claim that this policy gives parity with English universities, in actuality, the four year length of a Scottish degree makes the total cost higher. When the Liberal Democrats were in Government in Scotland, the annual fee cap was set below that of English universities for this very reason.”
“It is true that some – not all – English students can choose to enter directly into the second year of their degree, but they should not feel it necessary to do so for cost reasons.”
“We call on the Scottish Government to ensure that the overall cost of attending university in Scotland remains competitive with that of England.”
Vice President Campaigns Robbie Simpson said:
“This move would make Scottish universities the most expensive in Europe. That will do nothing to attract the brightest students at a time when applications from England have fallen 15% in the past year.”
“Meanwhile, there is no mention of student support – yet Scotland has lower bursaries and higher drop-out rates than the rest of the UK. The Scottish Government cannot simply use Rest of UK students to cover up their own lack of investment in Scotland’s universities and Scotland’s students.”
“The SNP needs to reconsider the extent of their proposals, and actually take heed of their consultation. They can’t play politics with Scotland’s educational future.”
