Would your children study in Scotland if fees applied to them

[NoahVale]

Would your kids go to university in Scotland despite having to pay, unlike those who live there

I have a DS in Belfast were the NI student’s fees are half his and I am about to have DD in Edinburgh where the Scottish students have no fees.

Their own fees would be exactly the same if they went to Wales or England. Most people get a loan to cover the fees so it doesn’t affect student life anyway. If they thought hard about the future they might feel resentful towards their Irish or Scottish friends but life is too short and they have plenty of English friends from school all in the same position as them.

Should Scottish students feel aggrieved that they need relatively harder grades to get into Scottish university as the ScotGov restricts the number of 'free places' that are available? Much easier for students from England to get in to those Universities. Swings and roundabouts.

My DS is an English student at a Scottish University and is very happy. I doubt he gives much, if any, thought to his fellow students' finances. He's got Scottish friends who will be paying less, English friends in exactly the same boat, and international friends who I assume pay more. He chose where he wanted to go based primarily on the course content but he also really loves the city.
In fact his University has various financial incentives for English students anyway, such as discounted accomodation in the first year and they don't charge tuition fees for the additional year. Plus as he's registered with a GP there his prescriptions are free, and he's entitled to a Young Scot card giving free bus travel. We live in the North of England so travel to and from University is very straighforward and a lot cheaper than it would have been if he'd attended any of the English Universities that have similar courses. (He's actually at the closest University to us that runs his course.) The accomodation is also less expensive than at either of the English Universities he seriously considered.
He/we may be paying more than the Scottish students on the same course but it is not costing more than being a student in England and it's the best course for him. If English students got free tuition in England that would be different, but since they don't we don't see any disadvantage to going to Scotland.

I went to Edinburgh because back in the day they had the Edinburgh grant and I got 8k a year bursary because I was a povo. I’m so glad I did because I live here now and my kids will probably study here as it’s free. The grants still exists I believe but it’s much much less. I also liked the fact you can pick electives here and I’m not sure English unis do that. To be 100% real though, I went to Edinburgh for the grant and because on the open day I went on the piss and found a £1.75 pint so me and my best friend were set on it after that (Shandwicks bar just off princes street if you’re wondering, now a fucking Cyote Ugly which is a crime).

My DD applied to Glasgow Uni and was tempted as we liked the city and the talk they gave was the best of any open day. But two things: the extra year (I know some courses allow you to go straight into Y2 but this was a new subject to her), and the extra years fees that went with that. They used to gift the fourth year but no more. That Scottish student don’t pay was not even a consideration.

A poster above made a great point that when students not Scottish domicile come to a Scottish Uni, then can also get free prescriptions and free bus travel up to age 22. Some Universities also give incentives to come there (reduced fees in one year, reduced accommodation fees). Note it's also not just higher rate of income tax that you pay in scotland, there's a higher rate of stamp duty (called something else) and everything else is just a bit more expensive here (ie as it's colder, utility bills will be higher as you need heating on much more).

Yes my English DD studies in Scotland and pays tuition fees. If she was Scottish no tuition fees. Due to course she does most are English/NI/International only a handful of Scottish. Internationals pay £30,000.
In her friend group they are all paying different fees or none. Same with maintenance loans - in her yr1 flat of 12 some were on English min loan, some on more generous Welsh loan, some Scottish finance, one NI, a couple from an Edinburgh £30,000 a year boarding school with parents funding and no loan. It has never been an issue.
Some Scottish unis offer rest of uk students scholarships and bursaries mine gets £1000 academic scholarship a year. Her English friend on max loan got a £3000 bursary too.
The 4 year thing wasn’t an issue as she was always having a year abroad yr3, it’s actually better as all her friends will be back for yr4.
Perks like free bus, free prescriptions. Train is much cheaper if you go north than to London.
Her insurance choice was Queens in Belfast and she’d have paid double fees of locals. They also have a generous GB scholarship yr 1 and low cost of living/cheap easy flights.
She wanted large city and something different. Her initial interest in London soon waned when she realised costs.

I think some Scottish unis do gift a year but University of Glasgow stopped a few years ago so they do pay 4 years.
Scotland/Scottish unis are very popular for students wanting to study abroad for a semester or year so we found the go abroad program had many more opportunities than lots of English universities.
The flexibility can be helpful. In some degrees they pick up other subjects yr1 and 2 and can choose to swap and graduate in them. A colleague at work started off doing x degree, did philosophy as an elective and ultimately graduated in philosophy. No need to restart or repeat a year.

I don't think Scottish universities are comparable to Welsh ones, not remotely.

you may have missed the point I was making @NameforaDay77 I wasn’t drawing any comparison between universities in Scotland and Wales.

I didn't miss your point, Sally. I was making a point of my own.