Chamber and committees

Should the people of Scotland vote for independence, the collection of student loan repayments is a matter that will form part of transitional discussions between the Scottish and UK governments.

The total number of students from the rest of the UK (rUK) studying at Scottish higher education institutes (HEIs) is shown in the table below. RUK students account for around 12 per cent of the HEI student population in Scotland.

Table 1: Students from the rest of the UK studying at Scottish higher education institutes from 2007-08 to 2012-13

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency

The Scottish Government believes that the unique and unprecedented position of an independent Scotland will enable us to establish an objective justification for our current policy approach to tuition fees which meets the requirements of the EU.

The current policy, based on residence, recognises the need to maintain the current mix of students at Scottish universities in order to ensure that Scottish-domiciled students have the opportunity to study in Scotland, and that Scotland secures the graduate skills it requires, while ensuring that the universities also admit students from the rest of the UK and beyond.

Scotland’s Future, including the proposition to continue to charge students from elsewhere in the UK tuition fees in an independent Scotland, is consistent with and informed by legal advice the government has received. The content of any legal advice is confidential. By long-standing convention, successive Scottish and UK governments have not disclosed the source or content of legal advice other than in the most exceptional circumstances.

The most recent figures available from the Scottish Funding Council indicate that students from elsewhere in the UK contributed £38.2 million in tuition fees to Scottish universities in 2012-13. This represented 4.9% of income from tuition fees and education contracts and 1.3% of overall university income.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the size of the overall loan book, as it relates to Scottish customers, remains sustainable and affordable.

Should the people of Scotland vote for independence, the administration of student loan scheme is a matter that will form part of transitional discussions between the Scottish and UK governments.

No analysis of graduate retention in that specific context has been undertaken. Should the people of Scotland vote for independence, the collection of student loan repayments is a matter that will form part of transitional discussions between the Scottish and UK governments.

Should the people of Scotland vote for independence, the collection of student loan repayments is a matter that will form part of transitional discussions between the Scottish and UK governments.

Should the people of Scotland vote for independence, the collection of student loan repayments is a matter that will form part of transitional discussions between the Scottish and UK governments. However, we do not anticipate any particular legal issues arising out of cross-border collection. Loan repayments are currently collected from residents both within and outwith the UK.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government.