Is it worth the international fees?

How are you intending to fund it if your parents are only contributing £5k???

I currently work part time, and I would continue working the max amount of hours allowed by my student visa while in university. Whatever that doesn't cover, I'd take out loans, hopefully no more than 10k per year. I'd rather not go into debt for an English degree (who would?), just trying to see if there's a way to make it work and if that would even be worth it.

I currently work part time, and I would continue working the max amount of hours allowed by my student visa while in university. Whatever that doesn't cover, I'd take out loans, hopefully no more than 10k per year. I'd rather not go into debt for an English degree (who would?), just trying to see if there's a way to make it work and if that would even be worth it.

Your tuition fees will be around £30,000 a year as you've mentioned, and those will likely increase each year. At the current exchange rate, £30,000 is around US$41,000. And, as you've said, there's your living costs. And the cost of returning home periodically if you choose to do that.
Getting a job is fine, providing you can find one. As I understand it (but please don't take the word of a random person on an internet forum as being official) a student visa will allow you to work 20 hours a week during term time, with no limit outside term time. The minimum wage in the UK for 18-20 year olds is £10.00 per hour (approx US$13.60).
You say you'll take out loans -- but have you done any research into who would loan you that money? It's unlikely you'd be able to borrow money from any UK source as an international student; so is there anyone who would lend you that in the US?
You really want to avoid the scenario of starting a degree course in the UK and then having to drop out part way through if you run out of money.
Make sure you take into account the length of your course. An undergraduate degree in England is normally three years. I believe that an undergraduate degree in Scotland is normally four years in length.

I'm an American international student, and I've received offers from Durham, Edinburgh, and Glasgow (with a 7k scholarship), along with hopefully St. Andrew's. My degree is English, or English+PoliSci at Glasgow, so not exactly something that will make me big bucks. Edinburgh is my top choice, followed by Glasgow. Durham doesn't appeal to me quite the same, though of course, I'd love it either way. However, as an international student, tuition is at least 20k, nearing 30k in some, without even considering food, housing, and other costs. I've searched high and low and left and right for scholarships, grants, or fee reductions, but I keep hitting dead ends. I have cheaper options in the US, but nowhere near as prestigious or high-quality. My parents are willing to pay only a small portion of this, around 5k, maybe a bit more if I'm lucky.
In short, is it worth it? I desperately want to study away from home, especially in the UK, and I love these schools. Going out-of-state would be even more expensive, and the schools at my level aren't nearly as attractive. I know that's not the best thing to base any decision on, but these 3 unis also have incredibly good programs for what I'd like to study and are doubtless the best schools I will get into. My stats are much more appealing to international schools than US ones.
Any advice, thoughts, or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Your tuition fees will be around £30,000 a year as you've mentioned, and those will likely increase each year. At the current exchange rate, £30,000 is around US$41,000. And, as you've said, there's your living costs. And the cost of returning home periodically if you choose to do that.
Getting a job is fine, providing you can find one. As I understand it (but please don't take the word of a random person on an internet forum as being official) a student visa will allow you to work 20 hours a week during term time, with no limit outside term time. The minimum wage in the UK for 18-20 year olds is £10.00 per hour (approx US$13.60).
You say you'll take out loans -- but have you done any research into who would loan you that money? It's unlikely you'd be able to borrow money from any UK source as an international student; so is there anyone who would lend you that in the US?
You really want to avoid the scenario of starting a degree course in the UK and then having to drop out part way through if you run out of money.
Make sure you take into account the length of your course. An undergraduate degree in England is normally three years. I believe that an undergraduate degree in Scotland is normally four years in length.

I'm an American international student, and I've received offers from Durham, Edinburgh, and Glasgow (with a 7k scholarship), along with hopefully St. Andrew's. My degree is English, or English+PoliSci at Glasgow, so not exactly something that will make me big bucks. Edinburgh is my top choice, followed by Glasgow. Durham doesn't appeal to me quite the same, though of course, I'd love it either way. However, as an international student, tuition is at least 20k, nearing 30k in some, without even considering food, housing, and other costs. I've searched high and low and left and right for scholarships, grants, or fee reductions, but I keep hitting dead ends. I have cheaper options in the US, but nowhere near as prestigious or high-quality. My parents are willing to pay only a small portion of this, around 5k, maybe a bit more if I'm lucky.
In short, is it worth it? I desperately want to study away from home, especially in the UK, and I love these schools. Going out-of-state would be even more expensive, and the schools at my level aren't nearly as attractive. I know that's not the best thing to base any decision on, but these 3 unis also have incredibly good programs for what I'd like to study and are doubtless the best schools I will get into. My stats are much more appealing to international schools than US ones.
Any advice, thoughts, or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Why Scotland?
Did you look at the two year degree at Buckingham?
https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-english-literature-single-2-year-degree/

The schools I applied to had the best rankings for English, student satisfaction, research, etc. If I'm already dreaming unreasonably, I might as well dream big. Buckingham seems like a step down compared to the American schools I've been accepted to, especially for the cost.

That's not the best way to choose a university - look at the course content and assessment.
Do you really think the USA is a good place to go at the moment?

Going to an worse university on a worse course just to migrate to a new country would be an odd decision.

So that rules out Scotland and the USA.

The OP is American and lives in the USA !

Yes and they are looking to study abroad!!!

Yes at a “prestigious / high quality “ uni as per their post …I’m not sure many international students from a country with their own wide range of study options will be aspiring to come to study in Buckingham.