English students at Scottish Universities

[glinda]

DD is applying to a Scottish University. At the moment the Scottish Education system pays fees for Scottish students and for all students from EU countries except England and Wales (Not sure about NI). So French, German etc students pay no fees.

Now, If the Scots vote for independence will other UK students be treated the same as other EU students? A Gap year could potentially save her £27000!

I thought I'd read that they would maintain the charge for E&W students in the event of independence.

On what grounds? Surely EU rules will apply to UK just like other EU countries?

Eah, I wouldn't hold your breath hoping for independence.....not going to happen.

IMO

I believe that they are hoping to keep charging E&W students but the legality of this is disputed.

Of course the question as to if they would have to reapply for EU membership is also contested...

Is is one to watch though!

You are probably right. I am just getting a bit panicky about funding HE. Grasping at straws.

All the polls say that it's unlikely to happen in the first place. Even if it did happen, I believe that there would be a couple of years between the referendum and independence, so as to work out things like EU membership.

However, if Scotland was to become independent and a member of the EU, then they wouldn't be able to charge RUK students fees. BUT you could also find that there would be no financial support for living costs (so no maintenance loan, maintenance grant or bursaries) as this is the current situation for EU students who come to study in Scotland.

My DD has just come back from staying with friends who are at University in Edinburgh. The accommodation costs were high in halls of residence, but student flats more reasonable and lovely apparently. She has been told there are few English students there, however, and the ones that she knows all have Scottish family connections.

I went to Edinburgh as a student from an English school (although my family are Scots). There were loads of English students there then (only a few years ago, I graduated in 2009) and they certainly didn't all have Scottish family connections. Edinburgh generally has lots of English people.

Not any more, CinderToffee . If you went in 2005 the fee system has changed since then and what Scottish student wants to pay £9000 a year here in England!!! They stay in Scotland if they want to spend less money and hence there are less places for other UK students but plenty of places for students paying full fees from abroad. We were advised by numerous people who work in senior independent schools that there was evidence that English students were now at a disadvantage in getting a place at Edinbugh. Some schools actively discourage students from applying because the numbers of English students accepted is much lower than it used to be and it therefore wastes an application. This is anecdotal, and could be a self-fulfilling prophecy of course, but most people we have spoken to believe it to be true. There is no harm trying to get a place and obviously some will be successful, but less than before.