Fury over RUK fees as Edinburgh, St Andrews announce £36k degree cost

The debate over Rest-of-UK tuition fees at Scottish universities has intensified after two Scottish universities announced plans that would make them the most expensive places to study in the UK.

The Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews last week announced plans to charge undergraduate students £36,000 in tuition fees for a four-year undergraduate degree. From September 2012, the two Russell Group institutions will charge £9,000 per year in fees for students coming from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish students will continue to study for free.

Edinburgh announced their plans on 5 September, after members of the University Court voted 20-2 in favour of the increase. The two opposing votes were cast by sabbatical officers from Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA). Student president Matt McPherson and vice president (academic affairs) Mike Williamson were present at the Court session to lobby the university for a lower fee level.

Mr Williamson told The Journal he was "disappointed", and that he "thought the university would take a stand" against higher fees.

Both universities have also come under fire from the National Union of Students Scotland, who called the £36,000 "ridiculous". Speaking the day after the Edinburgh announcement, union president Robin Parker told The Journal that the plan was "incomprehensible."

"It's bad for their reputation, and I don't see how it can be good for them in a business sense," he said. "I don't know why someone would pay £36,000 to go to Edinburgh when they could pay £27,000 to go to Oxford, Durham or Imperial."

Heriot-Watt University, the University of Aberdeen and the Glasgow School of Art recently announced that they would also increase their undergraduate fees to £9,000. However, all three institutions have announced a fee cap of £27,000, bringing them into line with top English universities including Oxford and Cambridge. The plan means that RUK students will pay for only three years of a four-year degree.

So far, only five of the fifteen universities in Scotland have announced their 2012/13 fee plans. Glasgow Caledonian University recently that they would charge £21,000 for undergraduate students.

The Scottish education secretary Michael Russell put forward a proposal in June to allow Scottish universities to set their own fees for students coming from other regions of the UK. This follows the UK government's decision to raise the maximum fee level to £9,000 per year. The rise in fees will go ahead as planned, following the end of a consultation period in the Scottish Parliament.

Writing in The Journal today, Mr Russell claimed that "by taking decisive action to introduce legislation to allow our universities to charge higher fees", the Scottish Government was "protecting places for Scottish students and the competitiveness and quality of our universities."

The University of Edinburgh has defended the fee-hike, announcing a new bursary package which they claim will be the best in the UK.

The bursaries will be funded by the extra revenue gained by charging students for their fourth year of study. University officials said that 54 per cent of the income from tuition fees will go towards financing the bursary package. Student leaders, however, have maintained that while the new bursary provisions are a step forward, students should not have to foot the bill.

Edinburgh University officials have also said that they will be encouraging more students who achieve the necessary A-levels to choose second-year entry in order to reduce the fee burden, but Mr Williamson said that he felt this was "not a solution to the problem, as the first year of study is essential for getting to grips with the inner workings of the university."

The average cost per year to educate one student is around £9,600. Previously, RUK students paid £1,820 in fees, with the Scottish Government paying the remainder. But this “top-up” system will now be abandoned, and universities are arguing that it is essential that they charge more in order to provide the same level of education.

The University of Edinburgh has pledged to invest the remainder of the income from fees in improvements to the student experience.

Professor Mary Bownes, vice-principal for external engagement, said: "These students will be studying at one of the world's top teaching and research institutions.” 

The Northern Ireland Executive announced on Thursday a four-year freeze on tuition fees, leading to speculation that more students will flock to other British universities rather than coming to Scotland.

Last Monday, the University of Edinburgh held an open day for next year’s prospective students. However, these future applicants were unaware of the discussions taking place to increase fees to £9,000 per year, raising the question of whether they will still choose to apply, regardless of the quality of the course.

Mr Williamson said that the decision placed the reputation of the university in jeopardy, and that next year's applications would undoubtedly be affected. He told The Journal that universities "are making people choose between debt and the course which is right for them."