to feel that English students (but not those from the EU!) having to pay university fees in Scotland is grossly unfair?

[bamboostalks]

How can this be justified? Who can defend this? Why is this allowed?

So was Tony Blair. What's yer point?

It's not anti English at all. Wee Alex Salmond isn't sitting there thinking up ways to get one over on the English in all his parties policies. The SNP have decided the best thing for Scotland is free education and I'm grateful for that as well as free prescriptions and free care for the elderly.

I think that shows a First Minister who has his priorities right for the people of Scotland and I'm proud to live here.

K999 I have read the thread properly, I understand the legalities. Assuming I don't is plain daft. You may be trying to insult my intelligence but that is a fail on that score.

We just have to apply some common sense. It is not right or fair, despite the legalities that foreign students from the EU can study for free and the rest of the UK would have to pay. Surely you wouldn't condone unjust legalities without bothering to question them?

K999 you were also defending the right of the Scottish Justice system to release a man found guilty under Scottish Law of murdering 270 people in cold blood. There may well have been clauses found under Scottish law to get an oil deal to release him, but no one in their right minds would agree that mass murderers should not end their days in jail.

The same analogy works here, it might be law but bad law in no ones friend.

My family is Scottish - we were all born and grew up in Scotland.

My DD attended uni in Scotland after we moved to England, so we had to pay four years' fees. Had we still lived in Scotland she would have been exempt from paying.

It's not Scottish people who get free uni places, but people who are resident in Scotland, whatever their nationality.

As long as we're part of the Uk we have the right to have mps voting in Westminster.
I don't think they should be allowed to vote on purely English affairs though.

How rude of the Scottish Justice system to work within their own rules when they knew FINE WELL it would annoy people outside of the country.

Mitmoo Turkey isn't in the EU.

The money for the Scottish universities won't come from thin air, it will have to come out of the Scottish budget, from English students willing to pay the full £9k pa to subsidise them or be under-funded (or more likely a combination of them all). I do think the universities will find it a huge challenge to keep up standards with the expected funding gap.

And no, English students not being allowed to study in Scotland isnt fair, but it probably wouldn't have been an issue if the Tories hadnt put such a price on education for young people in England.

I'm all for a devolved English parliament, there is a democratic deficit both sides of the border imo.

What's your answer then Mitmoo? Scotland can only charge EU students fees if it charges it's own students. Is that the answer?

And I am proud to live in a country which has a compassionate release policy. That country is the Uk, by the way, not just Scotland.

When I used the word formula I meant the one for allocating money to HE institutions, not the barnet formula. It just depends how long Scottish universities will put up with less money compared with comparable institutions.

Come on up and brave the pishin rain live here in bonnie Scotland if you want to benefit from our systems

Mitmoo, are you stalking me? Stating what I said in a previous thread (thereby making it a standalone comment which other posters won't understand) is rather childish.

And iirc posters on that thread also said you were not fully grasping the legalities of that situation either.

Ah well Braw so shoot me, does it change the thrust of the argument though?

K999 I dont slavishly accept law because it is the law. I question it and point out the failings in said laws when it defies common sense.

To not agree with a law is not the same as not understanding it.

It is what thinking people do.

No it doesn't, it just shows that you don't really understand the full nature of the situation or the legalities.....

Well, I think if you are going to be outraged it helps to get your facts right.

Mitmoo, lots of people don't agree with certain laws. But we have a thing called the rule of law. And not agreeing with a criminal law, for example, is not a defence to breaking it.

applause for brawtoken!

to take up mynameisnotearls points. I'm English and lived and worked in Scotland for over 20 years. my childrens father is Scottish, as are their paternal grandparents. My children were all born in Scotland. I moved back to England recently for work (my career progression is non existent in Scotland and I am the only financial support for my children.) If my daughter wants to attend a Scottish university after her A levels, she would need to pay tuition fees....but an EU student with no links to Scotland at all would not.

pffffffffft

Shucks. My first applause

Well I still feel it is inequitous and am not convinced by these arguments. One can only hope that is resolved fairly.

People resident in Scotland, for the requisite number of years, at the time of applying for University are eligible for free tuition. English or otherwise.

Why don't people read the posts!

Mitmoo - you do like to stir up and refer to other threads. I've spotted you doing it before.

Sorry - the exclamation mark should have been a question mark.

Think you got it right with the ! Rather than the ?