To be gobsmacked at how lucky we are in Scotland with our low tuition fees? Hats off to you lot elsewhere in the UK - and foreign students!

[49CremeEggs]

Completed my first degree in my teens to early twenties. Got it completely free thanks to SAAS.

I'm starting a second unrelated undergraduate degree in September for which i will have to fund the last two years myself (it's an allied health professional course, so SAAS will still pay the first two years). Each year costs approx £1,850, so I hope to save £4,000 by the time i'm due to start my third year.

However, for the rest of the UK, it's £9,000 a year! For foreign students coming here to study, it's £13,500 a year

Why on earth does it vary so greatly? It's completely unfair.

Makes me realise just how lucky i am to be in Scotland. And i hope SAAS is still around in twelve years' time when my dd will (hopefully) be starting to think about uni.

Not meaning to sound patronising, but hats off to all you non-Scottish students. How on earth can anyone afford to study elsewhere? Do you get loans?

I took out a loan for living expenses during my first degree. Think it totalled to under £3000 for the whole course.

Safe to say, if i wasn't living in Scotland, i'd have moved here in a jiffy if it meant no tuition fees.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

Under the Scottish Government, we have our own choice where we want to budget.
So we have decided that health and education is where we want to put our money.
Oh, and believe it or not, we pay taxes too.
Oh, and Cubtrouble, come and live here, Scotland is open to everyone.

[anonymosity]

Yes but as many English find in Scotland, as soon as you open your mouth you're abused and berated, for being - English. Not nice.

[Casperthefriendlyspook]

The level of ignorance from some posters on here is rather astounding to me.... Why is it acceptable to insult each other like this?
I am Scottish, living in Scotland, but have lived in England, and overseas. I am no supporter of the SNP or Scottish independence.
As other posters have said, these policies are not sustainable. As it is, every university makes a loss on every home UG we teach. This is my day job, so I know the ins and outs of it intimately. Universities are not public sector - we are businesses who receive a proportion of our income from the public purse. We have to make our books balance, one way or another. Look at things in that context, please.
Rant over. :)

[anonymosity]

No I disagree, Universities may need to make a profit, but they are not businesses, unless they are completely private, they are in fact public sector. Doesn't mean the people who run them do so in a business-like manner though.

[Casperthefriendlyspook]

We're really not public sector - honestly.... We're probably more 3rd sector.

[Casperthefriendlyspook]

Or to be really pernickety... We're registered charities with royal charters. :D

[MammaTJ]

It is unfair but the interest rates are very favourable.

[Gingerodgers]

Ok, I am not in the uk. Studying here is expensive. I am a sahm with kids at school. Oh, if I could just find a wee course that suited me, I would be delighted, but it does come down to cost of course v cost of potential earnings on a very pt basis. Basically, it would take years of working to pay the course fees, therefore, I don't do it. I can't decide whether or not this is a good thing, if a course was free, I'd definitely do it at the tax payers expense regardless of whether or not I wanted to work and pay tax, as it isn't free, I am much more concerned about what I do, and certainly won't be studying just to pass the time iyswim. Education costs money, it's a bummer, but maybe it's time all the 'nonsense courses' were scrapped,!

[NewAtThisMalarky]

I'm Scottish, living in Scotland.

It's fairly clear to me that free tuition and prescriptions are a temporary thing - to make it seem to the people voting for independence that we will be better off without England.

Whether the vote is for or against independence will make little difference. Ultimately it's a 'look how great the SNP is' policy.

And to the smug anti-salmond english on this thread - I'd just like to say that I can't blame you! I don't want him presiding over me either. Mind you I'm not exactly a fan of Cameron either...

[Gilbertwasthebestcat]

I am Scottish living in England and working in an English university. The quality of both students and the education offered will suffer without university fees. Scottish academics would welcome fees to improve both. Are fees fair? No, but necessary unfortunately .

[MrsKeithRichards]

at poor middle England being held to ransom by the Scottish vote, what a pile of shite.

[cuillereasoupe]

Come and study in France, tuition fees of 300 euros a year

[Incogneetow]

But the Scottish Universities are going to be in deep trouble and some staff there are very worried. They are not getting the finances they require to support the research in the universities, as a result they won't be able to prosper, won't be able to attract the best staff; and then the reputation of (previously superb) scottish institutions will soon start to decline.

5 or 6 years ago I thought studying in Scotland might be an option for my boys (Science). But now I just wouldn't consider it.

As Gilbert says, the quality of the education there is going to suffer without university fees.

[Samnella]

YANBU to think its unfair as it plainly is. Your "hat's off" comment is badly chosen as it comes across as smug. Its not as though we have a choice in the matter , so its nothing to congratulate us on. I would imagine though that whilst we lose out on tuition fess the money is going else where. Its just a matter of where the money has been distributed to surely. I guess the test will be when Scotland becomes independent and is no longer subsidised by the rest of the UK.

[Toadinthehole]

I am English, and a proud grad of a Scottish university (one of the ancients). My best memory of mid-90s Scotland was the education I received. The worst? Indubitably Alex Salmond and the gentle but persistent ethnic stirring he performed with his hammy fist.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

I probably wouldn't even vote for independence.

But seriously, all this crap about being "subsidised" and being called "wankers sucking it up" is so offensive.

Am super glad if ignorant rude idiots like that flock away from here in their droves tbh

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

Read my quote above, which was even from the Torygraph about how Scotland generates 9.6%of revenue in return for 9.3% of spending before spouting your "we subsidise you with our taxes" nonsense.

[drjohnsonscat]

As I understand it, a German student studying in Scotland is entitled to pay the lower fees that a Scottish student pays whereas an English student studying in Scotland pays the higher fees. Apparently it's illegal to discriminate between member states but not within member states. I have only heard this and haven't checked it out but if it's the case, it's pretty disgraceful. Can anyone confirm?

Disclaimer: I'm English and would be sorry about Scottish Independence but would happily never hear from Alex Salmond again.

[ILikeBirds]

I'm in 2 minds about this. On the one hand i think it must be daunting to decide to take up this amount of debt on the other i'd quite happily swap the new repayment terms for mine. (I pay a percentage of anything i earn over 15k and the loan isn't written off until retirement)

[pollypandemonium]

In Germany parents are forced to support their children until they are 21. They therefore make sure they are capable of either working or studying. Students pay uni fees but they are reasonable and not led by market forces as they are in England. Here our children end up as privileged educated or NEETs. There needs to be a middle ground. Our education system is socially segregated and this is pushing us towards a 21st Century Dickensian utopia complete with a servant class. At least Scotland accepts that there are consequences to allowing market forces to run things and is prepared to put society before the banker.

[FannyFifer]

Wow, usual lot of anti Scottish bollocks on this thread I see.

Good luck to you all with Cameron privatising your NHS, thankfully our devolved government has better priorities.

Roll on next year, we shall see then who subsidises who.

[FannyFifer]

As a Nationalist, how the fuck does that make me a racist?

Think you are confusing the Scottish National Party with the BNP.

If you were ever to attend an SNP event you will see people from all nationalities and cultures, the one thing they all have in common is wanting the best & a fair deal for the country they have made their home.

The only racism I see is towards Scottish people, it's offensive and absolutely rife on Mumsnet.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

Hear hear Fanny

Allgoingtoshitnow...independence is a political process..why ask posters on a thread 'why didn't you go?"

And calling Nationalists racists is just slightly hypocritical given the tone of your post (and untrue)

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

I personally am arseholeist