EU loophole: SNP still avoiding key issue in higher education funding

Scottish Conservatives are urging the Education Secretary to stop avoiding the key issue, after a meeting between the Scottish Government and key European officials on the issue of fees for European students produced no agreement.

Currently there is a loophole allowing students from EU countries outside the UK to study for free.

Liz Smith MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning, said:

"The Scottish Government deserves some praise for at least looking to address the unacceptable anomaly whereby other UK students are charged fees for attending Scottish universities but those from other EU countries study for free. However, it is wrong for the SNP Education Secretary to support discriminatory fees in order to fund the Scottish university system and for him to blame EU students for this situation.

"Such discrimination flies in the face of the long-standing traditions of the Scottish university system which is to ensure there is a level-playing field when it comes to university admissions being based on academic merit rather than on where a student comes from or his or her background.

"Furthermore, the SNP are wrong if they think that they could fill the funding gap simply by asking other UK and EU students to pay. We must never have a situation develop where the intake of students in Scotland is determined by who would pay the highest fees; something that would inevitably put pressure on our universities to limit the intake from Scotland.

"Scottish Conservatives have been clear in recommending a graduate contribution from all those who have benefited from a university degree in Scotland. This will ensure that our universities are sustainably funded and that there is extra financial support for the poorest students. The SNP are still on the back foot regarding university funding and avoiding the main issue."

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