'Scotland is the only country in the UK to ensure young people ⦠can go to ... Figure 1: Annual spending power: away f
STUDENT FUNDING IN THE UK: POST-DEVOLUTION SCOTLAND IN A UK CONTEXT Lucy Hunter Blackburn BERA 2015
grant
Max total living cost support (away)
Income threshold for max support
Income threshold for any form of grant
£
£
£
£
3,387
7,434
25,000
42,620
3,475
6,428
19,203
41,065
Max
England Northern Ireland
Scotland:
Young
1,875
Mature
875
Wales
5,161
7,625
18,999
33,999
7,957
18,370
50,021
Fee liability and funding
Up to £9,000, all as loan In country: £3,805, all as loan Elsewhere in UK: up to £9,000, all as loan
In country: £1820, fully cash funded by government Elsewhere in UK: up to £9,000, all as loan Up to £9,000: first £3,810 as loan; remainder fully funded by fee grant
‘Scotland is the only country in the UK to ensure young people … can go to university based on ability, not the ability to pay’ Michael Russell MSP, then Cabinet Secretary for Education, August 2014
“Access to education based on the ability to learn rather than the ability to pay is one of the oldest and most cherished public policy principles in Scotland.” Nicola Sturgeon MSP, in opposition, July 2006
“The amazing thing about free tuition fees is that no matter what your family background, you can go to university and not have to worry about finding the money … Compare [the system in England] to up here where some of my friends from my football club just wouldn’t be able to go to university if they had to pay”.
Yes Scotland website and household leaflet2014 “… on independence, Scottish domiciled students will continue to have free access to higher education. This guarantee will save Scottish students up to £9,000 a year compared with the cost of studying in England. Free education for those able to benefit from it is a core part of Scotland's educational tradition and the values that underpin our educational system.”
Scotland’s Future, White Paper on Scottish independence, 2013
Figure 1: Annual spending power: away from home 2015-16 9000 Scotland
7000
Wales
6000 England
5000 Northern Ireland
4000
Household income (£)
64000
60000
56000
52000
48000
44000
40000
36000
32000
28000
24000
20000
16000
12000
8000
4000
3000
0
Total grant plus loan (£)
8000
Figure 2: Student away from home 2015-16: annual expected borrowing 16000
12000 10000 England 8000
Northern Ireland Scotland (Young)
6000
Scotland (Mature) Wales
4000 2000
65000
60000
55000
50000
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
0
Annual expected borrowing (£)
14000
Figure 3: Degree-length debt
50000 45000 40000
30000 England 25000 Northern Ireland 20000 Scotland (Young) 15000 Scotland (Mature)
10000
Wales
5000
65000
60000
55000
50000
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
0
Total borrowing (£)
35000
