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Scotland urged to consider student fees if cap is raised south of the border
30 July 2010
Universities’ competitive position is at stake, warns Beveridge review. Hannah Fearn reports
The Scottish government is under pressure to abandon its commitment to free higher education after an independent review concluded that Scotland could no longer afford to offer universal public services.
The Independent Budget Review, the final report of a review panel chaired by Crawford Beveridge, says that the Scottish government must respond if tuition fees are raised south of the border following Lord Browne of Madingley’s review of fees and funding, which is expected to report in the autumn.
“The Scottish government will need to respond to ensure that universities in Scotland maintain their competitive position,” says the report, which was published yesterday.
“In the context of the current financial challenges and the recognised benefits of higher education for individuals, there is an even more pressing need to have an open debate in Scotland on the contributions which students and graduates make.”
Earlier this year, Mike Russell, the SNP education and lifelong learning minister, confirmed his commitment to free higher education. He rejected calls from the opposition for an independent review into the funding of Scotland’s universities.
But Mr Beveridge’s panel says in its report that the issue is no longer “one of desirability, but of affordability”.
It calls on both the Scottish government and the Scottish Parliament to reconsider whether to introduce tuition fees or turn to alternative funding schemes such as a graduate contribution.
The University and College Union Scotland rejected the panel’s findings, claiming that any call for tuition fees was beyond the remit of the review, contrary to public opinion, and risked propelling Scotland into a double-dip recession.
“The three members of the review are completely out of touch with the people of Scotland and have simply used the review to espouse their own agendas,” said Mary Senior, UCU Scottish official.
The umbrella group Universities Scotland said that making changes post-Browne would not benefit Scotland in the short term, during the current spending review period, and it argued that government investment in universities must be maintained.
“The report makes clear there is no simple, quick-fix solution to higher education funding for the immediate future other than essential public investment,” said Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland.
However, the group is understood to be already considering alternatives to free higher education for all in Scotland.
hannah.fearn@tsleducation.com
Readers' comments
It's just too bad if England and Wales can't manage to provide education to students without charging fees, as Scotland can. It is only right that students should have a choice to go to Scotland without paying fees to study or to remain in England/Wales and go into lifelong debt. Perhaps that would put pressure on the English/Welsh governments to eliminate fees altogether or to at least refrain from lifting the cap, via an income tax increase. "If ya wants to play, ya gots to pay!"
yes, and perhaps they might convince the Swedes to stop teaching through English or at least have the decency to charge comparable fees...
One question: Are you seeking compensation from KU?
Although the University at which I lecture would benefit, I oppose fees for Scottish universities. There are two quantities relevant to this this debate: the funding that universities receive per student and the proportion of that funding that the students provide themselves. The assumption that former must depend on the latter is nonsense. The Scottish government could simply decide to invest more money on the Universities without clawing revenue from those least able to pay: the students.
Mary Senior's accusation of political agenda over financial reality is spot on. The best way for the Scottish government to respond to maintain their competitive position (such a laughable underhand suggestion to make in the first place), assuming tuition fees in England and Wales rise, is to do nothing at all. Do people think students are stupid? If England increases its tuition fees then more then students will look to Scotland and even Europe for better value; to be honest it is not just about financial value, but social value too. For too long students and universities in England have been derided by politicians, the taxman, and the public. But in Scotland and across Europe the value of higher education does not go unnoticed, whether it is ensuring tuition fees remain free for students or increasing income to universities in the recession. England needs to take a good long look at itself, and figure out a way to help rather than profit off its youth.
Don't do it Scotland. Stick to your principals.
Disclose your own identity or shut up.
@" To Howard". OK , it is Gary Lee Nelson
Scotland should stick to free education unless they want to see a huge gap in people attending universities and colleges. Our education system should remain free for all it's the best way forward. England only care about the money they receive and as far as i am aware from one of my lecturers who studied in England top up fees made no improvement to their education system except exclude less well off students from attending and increasing unemployment levels further
You are getting free university education thanks to the munificence of England. As for yout=r assertion about top ups, Scottish VCs know their research needs money and uncle England will not pay for it.
Fees in Scotland are already there for some. If you are a home based (Scottish) student or an EU student then no fees. If you are from outside the EU - there are fees. If you are English and studying at a Scottish University you pay fees, not just quite as high a level as the other International students.
I think most Scottish HEI's expect are expecting/planning on there being fees within a couple of years. The black hole in the Scottish Government finances will demand it.
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