Scottish ministers face calls to follow UK Government and offer certainty for 2017 EU students

Scottish university principals and trade unions have urged the Scottish Government to offer certainty to EU students applying to study in Scotland in 2017.

The call follows a similar pledge by UK universities minister Jo Johnson MP today, who said access to tuition fee loans and other support would continue throughout their course after enrolling in 2017 or 2018, even after the UK leaves the European Union.

Johnson said: “Students applying to study next year will not only be eligible to apply for student funding under current terms, but will have their eligibility maintained throughout the duration of their course, will provide important stability for both universities and students.”

The Scottish Government has guaranteed no fees for EU students starting this year, but applications for places for next year at Scottish Universities opened on 5 September, with some courses closing applications soon.  

Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, said institutions were facing difficult decisions about the applications they were receiving.

“Scotland’s universities and EU applicants applying here really need certainty from the Scottish Government on the fee status for courses starting in 2017,” he said.

“Universities are already receiving thousands of applications and they need to start making offers now. It is very difficult to ask EU applicants to make decisions about the next four years of their life without knowing if they are entitled to fee-free higher education or not.”

National Union of Students Scotland president Vonnie Sandlan said: “In return for the contribution they make, and the benefits they bring, those students deserve assurances and certainty that Scotland remains an open and welcoming place for them to study.”

University and College Union Scotland official Mary Senior said the UK statement was “late in the day” for those already applying.

“We also need to keep the pressure on the UK government to guarantee the rights of the many EU nationals working in our universities and who do the teaching and research which makes Scottish higher education world class,” she said.