THE NUMBERS
Professor Anne West, an expert in education policy at the London School of Economics, said: “The Scottish Government provides £213 million in funding, approximately £1,800 per student per academic year for a degree programme, with a cap on places to control costs.
In England, UK and EU students are personally liable to pay up to £9,250 per academic year for a degree programme.
“While income from undergraduate students only represents part of the funding picture, this difference in approach between Scotland and England clearly contributes to the budgetary pressures that institutions in Scotland face,” she added.
“Although there is no formal cap on the number of Scottish students who can study at Scottish universities, in order to budget effectively, the Scottish Government predefines the funding it provides to Scottish universities each year to cover the cost of tuition for Scottish students.
“In short, because higher fees are charged for overseas students and those from the rest of the UK, there is a financial incentive to recruit such students.”