Ryan-Thomas’s Blog

By Ryan-Thomas Quinn

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Scotland’s higher and further education system is one of the few in the world to offer tuition-free undergraduate study for students. Since the scheme was introduced in 2007-08, 740,000 students have benefited from the policy. (Scottish Parliament)

Tuition fees for Scottish-domiciled undergraduate students are paid on their behalf by the Scottish Government, through the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) (Scot Gov). For students, this means no bills or loans for their education, a stark contrast to the rest of the UK. 

But tuition isn’t ‘free’ in an economic sense; Scottish universities still charge a tuition cost, typically £1,820 per year for a Scottish-domiciled student, which SAAS pays on their behalf. Combined with the Scottish Government’s main teaching grant, it equals about £7,610 per student per year in public funding. (IFS) Crucially, that per-student funding has not kept up with inflation. After accounting for inflation over the last decade, research shows that public funding for Scotland’s higher educational institutions is about 19% lower in real terms than it was in 2014, meaning they receive significantly less resource today, while expected to deliver the same service as the past. (IFS)

A positive outcome from the policy however is the difference in average student debt between Scotland and the rest of the UK. Data from the Student Loans Company (SLC) shows that English graduates now carry an average loan balance of about £53,000 by the time they enter the repayment threshold, while Scottish graduates typically have far lower debts, averaging around £17,000.

One of the core arguments for free tuition is widening access and enabling those from lower-income and underrepresented backgrounds to complete higher education. Scottish Government figures indicate that since the scheme was first introduced, the number of Scottish students studying at degree level has grown by roughly 27% (Scot Gov).

However researchers have found that lifting out-of-pocket fees does not automatically level the playing field; in the 2024-25 academic year, 43.7% of the most advantaged students secured a place in higher education, compared with just 15.4% of the least advantaged, meaning those better off were 2.84x more likely to progress upwards in education than those who were not. (UCAS)

It is more reasons like this that the scheme has become increasingly unpopular in Scotland. A recent poll commissioned by the Carnegie Trust found that nearly half (48%) of voters in the upcoming Scottish Parliamentary election would support charging tuition fees based on ability to pay, marking a clear shift in public opinion amid growing scrutiny of the current funding model. (Carnegie Trust) (IPSOS)

And at the same time, campuses across Scotland have felt budgetary strain. Recent reports have described significant job cuts at Dundee University, and a multi-million-pound deficit mitigation package at the University of Edinburgh. 

Scotland’s free tuition policy is rooted in a clear principle that education should be based on potential to achieve, not the ability to pay.  In terms of graduate debt reduction, the policy has undeniably achieved this. Yet the data also makes clear that ‘free’ does not mean costless. The investment from public funds to sustain the model is substantial at approximately £715m per annum. So, while the policy has succeeded in certain aspects, like lowering debt, it has failed in others, including widening participation and financial sustainability. Going forward, with growing public discontent and costs rising, the new Scottish Government elected in May will face a challenging task going forward: Should the scheme remain as is? Or should contributions align more with household wealth? 

The inevitable answer will shape Scottish higher education for years to come, but the numbers suggest that there will be no easier option.