The Student Room Group

Why do people get annoyed at Scottish Uni Fees?

So I've always thought, fair enough, Scottish people get a free education. Fine. They're just catering to the needs of their own students.

But I only just checked out Student Finance, and People from the EU get it free in Scotland too?

In what world is that fair?

I think you'll find that England is a part of the EU, yet we're expected to pay £9000 a year.

I'M IN A RAGE! This is the maddest I've ever been! :mad:
(edited 12 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Original post by kayyyy_x
So I've always thought, fair enough, Scottish people get a free education. Fine. They're just catering to the needs of their own students.

But I only just checked out Student Finance, and People from the EU get it free too?

In what world is that fair?

I think you'll find that England is a part of the EU, yet we're expected to pay £9000 a year.

I'M IN A RAGE! This is the maddest I've ever been! :mad:


ahh just sitting here in a university in Scotland with my FREE education- you canny beat it. That and Irn-bru of course
Reply 2
Original post by ihatebrownbread
ahh just sitting here in a university in Scotland with my FREE education- you canny beat it. That and Irn-bru of course


I'm still planning on going to Uni in Scotland if I get an offer. It looks great. It's just a bit annoying though.
Reply 3
Scotland can spend its money on whatever they want; and they decided to pay for higher education.
Fair enough.

Negged for this - HATERS GON HATE
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by tehforum
Scotland can spend its money on whatever they want; and they decided to pay for higher education.
Fair enough.


But it kind of seems like they're discriminating when The EU get their University free in Scotland too.
Reply 5
Original post by kayyyy_x
But it kind of seems like they're discriminating when The EU get their University free in Scotland too.


They are kinda. It's not entirely fair however think about it like this, if you had to pay 9k for education in England but nothing in Scotland, how many more people would apply from England to Scotland.

Basically the Scottish government is trying to avoid "fee refugees" from flooding the universities with applications or at least this is their reasoning.
Reply 6
I agree, fair enough if it's free for scottish students, but EU students too? where's the sense in that (they would make a lot of money by charging them too...) and northern irish students?
Reply 7
Yeah, I've applied to scotland aswell.

Does anyone know what happens if your from northern ireland but you have an irish passport?
Reply 8
It's a technicality. Students in the EU cannot be charged more than what a home student would pay. However "England" isn't in the EU, the UK is. It's similar to the situation in Germany I believe- universities in different parts of Germany charge different fees, and if you are a German student going to a university in another area of Germany your fees can be higher than an EU student may pay.
As a side note, consider it this way. A scottish student studying in Spain or France would have very low fees (£100-£200 per year), and a French or Spanish student would pay nothing in Scotland. A Scottish student in England may have to pay up to £9000 a year, and same for an English student in Scotland... it may not be the fairest system but swings and roundabouts.
Reply 9
Urgh, how many times is this discussed? How have you only just found out?

Nobody gave a damn until the English and Welsh voted in the Conservatives who put up fees in England and Wales. Issue? Don't moan at Scotland and its people for voting in a government that looks after its people.

-Under an EU agreement, students from OTHER EU MEMBER STATES must be treated the same as local students.
-The UK is an EU member state; England and Scotland, as far as the EU is concerned, are regions of the UK.
-Scotland, can, therefore decide to charge however much it likes to students from other areas of the UK. It is an internal UK matter, and if they wanted to stop it then Westminster could legislate that residents of one area can not be discriminated against in the provision of services in another. Watch the chaos that would ensue.
-Scotland has education as a devolved power, and made its decision to allow Scottish domiciled students to study free in Scotland. Therefore students from other member states in the EU are also entitled to.

And the Scottish Government would love to find a way round it so that they can charge something to EU students too.

Understand?
Reply 10
Oh man, I love me some free edumacation! Stole me a job too. This is the Eastern European dream.
Reply 11
Original post by kristol90
Oh man, I love me some free edumacation! Stole me a job too. This is the Eastern European dream.


I absolutely cracked up at this when I looked at your location. Well played, sir. :biggrin:
Original post by kayyyy_x
So I've always thought, fair enough, Scottish people get a free education. Fine. They're just catering to the needs of their own students.

But I only just checked out Student Finance, and People from the EU get it free in Scotland too?

In what world is that fair?

I think you'll find that England is a part of the EU, yet we're expected to pay £9000 a year.

I'M IN A RAGE! This is the maddest I've ever been! :mad:


I'm sick of people spouting this same anti-scottish rhetoric.

Scotland has to, under EU conditions, offer all EU students studying in scotland the same fees as home (scottish) students. The scottish govt has no choice or say in the matter. If you want to blame anyone blame the EU.

English students only get charged 9k to study in scotland because scottish students get charged 9k to study in england. This means when i attend an english uni after the summer I will be charged 9k as a scottish student studying in england. Would it not be unfair if scottish students had to pay 9k in england but english student got education free or less in scotland!
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all decided to use some of their budget to alleviate uni costs to their students, England didn't.
That's something you need to bring up with the English government, instead of calling it unfair for the rest of us.
Reply 14
I heard that Scottish students don't have to pay fees if they attend Scottish Universities, and also because of EU law that the rest of the EU outside of the UK also pays no fees.

I am from Northern Ireland, however I hold an Irish passport, which technically means I'm a citizen of the republic.

Does this mean that I have to pay no fees or am I entitled to debt as much as any other student?

String.
Original post by String.
I heard that Scottish students don't have to pay fees if they attend Scottish Universities, and also because of EU law that the rest of the EU outside of the UK also pays no fees.

I am from Northern Ireland, however I hold an Irish passport, which technically means I'm a citizen of the republic.

Does this mean that I have to pay no fees or am I entitled to debt as much as any other student?

String.

It's a residence qualification, not a citizenship one. You've not lived in Scotland for the previous 3 years.
Reply 16
Original post by carnationlilyrose
It's a residence qualification, not a citizenship one. You've not lived in Scotland for the previous 3 years.


Hmm I would say thanks, but you've just doused some hopes there... :frown:


Only joking :biggrin: Thanks lilyrose :smile:
Nope, like the poster above said it's not question of nationality, it's a question of residency. You live and were educated in N. Ireland so you'd have to pay fees.

EDIT: for anyone wondering if you are english, irish or welsh and have been resident in scotland for 3 years or more then you'd be entitled to SAAS (free education).
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by String.
Hmm I would say thanks, but you've just doused some hopes there... :frown:


Only joking :biggrin: Thanks lilyrose :smile:

Sorry not to be the bearer of better news.:frown:
How long would i need to be living in Scotland to be a resident, and therefore not pay the new £9000 tuition fees?

I'm from England. Could i just get an apartment there for a few months and then be considered a scottish resident and then pay the same fees?

thanks

Quick Reply

Latest