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Scottish universities to set own fees for UK students
Scottish universities will set their own fees for students from the rest of the UK from 2012-13. An upper limit of £9,000 will be introduced in time for the 2013-14 academic year, and until then Scottish universities have voluntarily agreed to follow this upper limit.
Scottish university fees
Student finance
Find out how to apply for student finance, whether you live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
At the moment, students from the rest of the UK studying in Scotland pay £1,820 a year, or £2,895 if studying medicine. In comparison, from 2012-13 fees in England are estimated to average £8,665.
To ensure Scottish universities aren’t seen as a cheap option, and to protect places for Scottish students, from 2012-13 Scottish universities will be able to set their own fees for students from the rest of the UK.
Fees will range from £1,800 to an upper limit of £9,000. All Scottish universities have voluntarily agreed to this upper fee limit. However, legislation will be introduced to make this the most they are legally allowed to charge from 2013-14.
Despite the increase, Scottish university fees are still expected to be, on average, lower than in England.
Scottish Education Secretary Michael Russell said: "Scotland has and always will welcome students from all over the world to our universities. However, the decisions being taken in England could threaten the quality and competitiveness of our universities. We cannot allow Scotland to no longer be the best option and instead be known as the cheap option. We also must protect places for Scottish students.
"We are providing clarity for potential students from the rest of the UK that making the positive choice to study in Scotland will not cost more than it does in their home nation. We expect the average fee for Scottish universities to be lower than the average in England and Wales."
Around 20,000 students from the rest of the UK study full-time at undergraduate level in Scottish universities and so would be eligible to pay higher fees under the new arrangements.
Further information
If you are going to university in Scotland but live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you need to apply for student finance in your home country.
Find out more about student finance by following the link below.
