Holyrood offers support to students overseas

Scotland’s universities will suffer if students and academics from around the world are unable to secure visas to study in the UK after Brexit, Richard Lochhead has warned.

The Scottish Government minister for higher education said in a Holyrood debate yesterday that it would be “utter madness” if the UK’S departure from the European Union had a detrimental impact on the sector.

He pledged that financial support would also be offered to Scottish students at EU universities to continue their studies in Scotland after Brexit.

More than a fifth of teaching and research staff at universities north of the Border are from EU states, according to the Scottish Funding Council.

Concerns have been raised that hundreds of Scottish students could suddenly be liable for international student fees depending on the manner in which the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Lochhead said: “If you left Scotland to study in the EU, and Brexit means you are forced to give up your studies, we guarantee to provide student support so you can study here.”

would be administered from Whitehall, rather than being distributed by the Scottish Government as it is currently.

“It is crucial that the UK government urgently commits to replacing all funding streams in full and that we ensure our fair share of this to ensure that decisions can be taken in the best interests of Scotland,” Ms Sturgeon told Holyrood. “Funding decisions currently being made by Scottish ministers should continue to be made by Scottish ministers.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable joined calls for the Barnett formula funding to be protected, saying: “Anything that moved towards centralisation within the UK or even within England would be a thoroughly retrograde step.”