It’s a debate that has reached boiling point this week with Edinburgh University announcing that it will charge English, Wales and Northern Ireland students £36,000 for a 4-year degree (that’s the full £9,000 a year) but not Scottish students!

Many people in England are pretty annoyed about this, the Daily Mail even calling it ‘tuition fee apartheid’. It may be nowhere near as bad a racial segregation and systemic prejudice across a whole society – but it does seem pretty unfair.

Degree courses tend to last four years in Scotland (instead of the usual three you get elsewhere in the UK) Edinburgh has decided to charge £9,000 a year in tuition fees for non-Scottish students, bringing the total cost to a massive £36,000.

Students who are resident in Scotland do not pay tuition fees at Scottish universities.

This is angering many people. The National Union of Students Scotland attacked Edinburgh saying charging that much for a degree is was "both staggering and ridiculous".

They are now the third Scottish university to decide to charge the full amount for students from the rest of the UK. But Aberdeen and Heriot-Watt universities said they intended to cap their fees at a maximum of £27,000 for a four-year course (that’s £6750 a year).

The thing that makes this seem most unfair if the fact that because of European Union students from EU member states are entitled to free education in Scotland. Because the UK is seen as one member state, this rule does not legally apply to the individual states of the UK.

The University of Edinburgh claims it will offer "the most generous bursary package within the UK for those on the lowest household incomes".

But are people right to be annoyed by this?

With Westminster having raised the fees for the all universities in England, is it wrong to criticise the Scottish Parliament and universities for maintaining free higher education for students in their country?

This could be seen as necessary to prevent all students from the rest of the UK only applying to universities in Scotland?

1. Angus Graham - September 7, 2011 at 11:10 am

   I think this is really discriminating and creates a divide, and really dont understand that students from the EU go free? Again a system that favours the the more wealthier families. Genious!! Well done Edinburgh!!!

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2. Mary Stott - September 7, 2011 at 11:28 am

   The different rules for EU and students from inside the UK are a bit wrong, but I do understand how this has happened. The central parliament in Westminster has created this situtaion with their £9k fees – all Edinburgh is doing is charging English students what they would have to in their own country to maintain enough funding to keep it free for their own Scottish students (they aren't responsbile for the silly EU rules.) It is a shame that English students have to suffer so that the Scottish universities can afford to do the right thing and keep higher education free for its students.

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3. Amy Banks - September 7, 2011 at 12:16 pm

   I think this is completely unfair and disgusting. I am starting at the University of Stirling on Saturday and I was so excited about how cheap my degree was going to be compared to how expensive they are in England. I'm moving all the way up from Kent to have the luxury of a cheaper education in a good university, but this new decision regarding fees is ridiculous and I wish I had stayed in England now!
   I think if tuition is going to be free for Scottish students, it should be free for everyone. Either everyone pays or no one pays. This is completely unfair.

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   • Angus Graham - September 7, 2011 at 6:22 pm

     Amy, I completey understand your frustration and don't understand how EU students get it for free!!! I think as a student we have we have been poorly advised about the increase in costs and the justification for it. It seems that we as a country have missed the point of what our education is about and the governement and universities have just rushed into a decision of chraging students more money for an education that is no differnet to when they were charging £3225. Are we getting 3 times a better education? What options are their for an education outside the UK? Good luck @ Stirling.
4. Amy Stott - September 7, 2011 at 1:07 pm

   Wasn't always inevitable that the Scottish universities were also going to have to charge £9k after the decision for a fees rise in England? Mainly because all English students (like yourself) would all seek places north of the border.
   I am Scottish and believe in free education for all – but unfortunately the decisions made in Westminster have meant that discriminating against English students has been made necessary to protect places and free education for Scottish students.
   Let's just say that you get what you vote for! I am proud that our Scottish parliament are using our taxes wisely and enabling me and my country-men/women free access to universities.

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5. Lauren Gilmour - September 7, 2011 at 9:39 pm

   Yes it's all very unfair that English students have to pay the same amount to go to uni in Scotland but remember, if people from Scotland want to go to uni in England they have to pay aswell. Everyone seems to be forgetting that..

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6. Angus Graham - September 8, 2011 at 9:08 am

   I cant help but thinking that what has happended here is really unfair whether its is Westminster or Scottish Universities / Government we just need to look at the facts anyone from Scotland or any EU state including Greece, Poland, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy etc can goto Scotland and get a free education but any student from the England, Wales or Northern Ireland have to pay. Please, no one can say this is fair?

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   • Mauve - September 16, 2011 at 2:00 pm

     Way to use the itrennet to help people solve problems!
7. Sarah - September 8, 2011 at 2:56 pm

   RIDICULOUS…. like everything to do with the government in this country >:(

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8. Catherine - November 2, 2011 at 2:37 pm

   I applied to the University of Edinburgh a few weeks ago (I live in London) and I almost wish I hadn't. My course involves a year abroad, during which I still have to pay the full £9,000 to the University even though I will not be using any of their staff or resources while trying to find my footing in a foreign country – no other university I've applied to does this. I wouldn't mind too much if it was just England, Northern Ireland and Wales facing the fees, as the Scottish universities need money from somewhere, but the rest of the EU gets it for free? That's just taking the mick…the sense of injustice is undeniable. We ARE part of the EU.

   I've worked out that if I go to this university, my MINIMUM student debt will be £70,000 (as opposed to just over £50,000 elsewhere, which is still awful) once I factor in rough living costs and fees together. My parents can't help me out because they earn very average wages which are just above the bursary limit. How the hell am I supposed to pay that (before you say it, you cannot borrow enough from the government to live on for a year, it's capped at £5,000 for Londoners)? I'm 17. I've never even seen more than £100 at a time. £70,000 is just impossible and I don't even know where to start.

   I wanted to go into postgraduate study too. Screw that, I'll be penniless by that point. Cheers government.

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