CONSULTATION ON CROSS BORDER STUDENT FLOWS: HIGHER EDUCATION TUITION FEE LEVELS: SUMMARY OF RESPONSES AND NEXT STEPS

Description	Summary and next steps of Consultation on Cross Border Student Flows: Higher Education Tuition Fee Levels
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Website Publication Date	August 19, 2005

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July 2005

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Introduction

1. In April 2005, the Executive issued a consultation paper on proposals to increase the level of higher education tuition fees above the level of inflation in 2006-07. The consultation period closed on 30 May 2005.

2. This report provides a summary of the 46 responses received and explains what the Executive will do next.

3. We are grateful to the higher education institutions ( HEIs), colleges, and representative bodies, including those representing learners, and members of the public who took the time to respond. Their responses have been invaluable in informing the decision making process in this important policy area.

Background

4. As part of a package of measures in response to the changes taking place in the rest of the UK, Ministers announced on 24 June 2004 that they would be increasing the level of tuition fees in Scotland from 2006 to a level comparable with those being set in England. This will mainly affect students who come to study in Scotland from other parts of the UK, as eligible Scottish and non- UKEU domiciled full-time students will continue to have their tuition fees met by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS). At the same time, Ministers announced that they would examine the case for setting a separate flat-rate fee for medicine, in light of the particular demand for places at Scottish Medical Schools.

5. These measures are designed to protect the interests of Scottish domiciled students from the impact of increased tuition fee levels in England and Northern Ireland. There are concerns that lower fees in Scotland may lead to increased demand from students from other parts of the UK for places at Scottish higher education institutions, resulting in Scottish domiciled students being displaced.

6. Without pre-empting the outcome of the parliamentary scrutiny of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005, Ministers issued a consultation paper on tuition fees levels in April of this year. The consultation sought views on:

the level at which general tuition fees should be set;
whether there should be a separate flat-rate fee for medicine; and
if so, at which level tuition fees for medicine should be set.

In addition, it sought views on:

whether Scottish and non- UKEU domiciled students not eligible for SAAS support should be protected from the changes;
implications for tuition fee levels for Higher National qualifications; and
how to deal with gap year students in 2006 for tuition fee purposes.

Summary of responses

7. While the consultation paper contained a number of specific queries, many responses are more general in nature, indicating broad support or otherwise for the principles underlying the proposals and/or focussing on particular points of interest.

8. A summary of each response and an analysis of replies given to the specific questions raised are given at Annex A and Annex B respectively. These have been further summarised as follows.

General fee levels

There is broad support for the principles underlying the proposals.
The prevailing view is that fees should only be raised to the minimum level required to achieve the overriding objective of maintaining current levels of cross border flows. Some responses suggest this might be lower than guide range of £1,700 to £1,900 set in June 2004.
There are many requests to take account of the range bursaries/scholarships being set in England, as well as fee levels, in setting broadly comparable fee levels for Scottish HEIs.
Some responses suggest that the extra years living expenses in Scotland should also be taken into account before setting fee levels for Scottish HEIs .
There is considerable support, particularly from individual HEIs and from Universities Scotland, for delaying the introduction of increased tuition fees in Scotland by a year. This would allow a longer period to assess more fully the impact of changes taking place in England.
Many comment on the need to ensure that increased fees do not act against widening access. To address this, there are many requests for the Executive to introduce a bursary scheme. This will allow greater flexibility to respond to the range of measures being taken by individual English HEIs to support widening access.
In the longer term, there are concerns about the impact of population decline in Scotland and the consequent need to attract English students. Some responses highlighted the fact that numbers of English students are lower than they were in 1998-99.
A few comment that the rebalancing of funding going to an HEI from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council ( SHEFC) and SAAS could act as an incentive for HEIs to recruit more fee only students. Fee only students arise when an HEI recruits a greater number of students than they have been allocated funded places by SHEFC.
Almost all responses highlight the fact that the full impact of the new fee arrangements will only become clear over time. Consequently, there is a need to keep fee levels under close review.

Medical fees

There is widespread recognition that there is a need to address the demand for places at Scottish medical schools, to ensure an appropriate mix between students ordinarily resident in Scotland and other parts of the UK.
Most responses consider it appropriate to set fee levels in Scotland at a level comparable with those being set in England. There is however some concern that this could be contrary to the widening access agenda.
Many suggest that increasing tuition fees for medicine should not be looked at in isolation. Other measures, such as encouraging Scottish medical schools to adopt more flexible admissions policies, should also be considered.
Many comment on the wider need to improve recruitment and retention in NHS Scotland.

Self funded Scottish domiciled students

Almost all responses are in favour of protecting self funded Scottish domiciled students from the effect of the increased fees, by providing partial tuition fee remission.
Some responses suggest that there is less justification of protecting self funded Scottish domiciled students studying for a second first degree. A few responses refine this further by suggesting that only those studying medicine as a second first degree should be considered for partial fee remission.

Tuition fees for Higher National Qualifications

There are mixed views on whether fees for Higher National Certificates and Diplomas ( HNC/Ds) should be increased in line with other higher education provision.
Some in the college sector consider this presents an opportunity to equalise funding across the two sectors. Others recognise that the level of cross border activity is very low and that therefore there was unlikely to be increased demand for places at Scottish colleges. This suggests tuition fees for HNC/Ds should be retained at their current level.
There is general support for keeping this under review.

Gap year students

There is unanimous support for students who apply to study in 2005-06 but do not start their course of study until the year to be treated as having entered higher education the previous year.

Part-time students

Many responses comment that the new fee arrangements for full-time students should not increase the financial burden for part-time students.

Access to responses

9. Copies of the responses to consultation are available through the Scottish Executive Library and the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Home

Next steps

10. As a result of the powers in the new Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005, additional consultation will be required on the affirmative order which must be laid in the Scottish Parliament to set any new tuition fee.

11. A draft order, informed the outcome of this consultation exercise, will be laid in the autumn. Interested parties will have 60 days to comment before a final version is laid before the Parliament.

Scottish Executive
Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
July 2005

ANNEX A
SUMMARY OF EACH RESPONSE

Views / Concerns
Should welcome brightest students to Scotland given population decline Institutionalises racism
Discrimination of English students
Will deter students from coming to Scotland which will in turn mean that the shortage of doctors continues
Increased fees will deter: 2nd Degree self funding students those who enter HE via an HND Part-time students who don't receive fee-remission In favour of fee remission to all Scottish domiciled students
Scottish HEIs should be encouraged to seek the numbers of students they can manage from whatever domicile, there should be no special protection for Scottish students Should encourage more students from RUK to study at Scottish HEIs & charge an appropriate amount Income from fees to be retained by HEIs Longer term, allow differentiation of fees by subject in response to market demand & HEIs desire to expand/contract particular course
Support should be given for a first degree only, & not for repeat years; the relevant HEI can treat a student exceptionally for suitable reasons e.g. ill health Would be advisable to wait and see what happens in the case of medical students Too soon to take action in 2006/07
Agree with general principles, fee level should be high enough to generate savings to cover the cost of Scottish students attending English HEIs Self funded and non- UKEU students should not be protected from the fee increase in short term Long term, may need to reconsider for skills shortage areas Agree that separate flat rate should be set for medicine but that scholarships should be introduced to help widen access Should not change fee levels for HNC/Ds Gap year should be treated as entering an HEI in the year in which they were accepted for admission
Course of action proposed is practical and consistent with Scottish priorities and needs
Agree with general principle, fees should be set at £1,700-£1,900; self funded Scottish and non- UKEU students should not be protected from increase, medical fees should be set at a level broadly comparable with RUK HN levels should remain the same, gap year students should be treated as having entered HE in their year of admission
Investigation should be made into variable fee impact for taught postgraduate students HND level 1 entrants, repeat year student and those wishing to retrain through a second degree should be protected from the changes Caution required to avoid overreacting to a short-term trend; need for continuous review Need to consider additional years living costs too Broad support for suggested approach
Danger that this will damage Scotland's reputation as having a diverse student body No evidence that well qualified Scottish students are being displaced by an increase from students from RUK - may be better to hold introduction of policy to determine its necessity Under policy change, there will be an incentive for HEIs to over recruit fees only student in subject groupings which attract very low levels of SHEFC teaching grant If there are savings from the policy change to the Executive, these should be used to increase the overall Teaching Unit of Resource Not resourced to offer bursaries to less well off students and these students would therefore be put off applying The fee level should not be determined by the funding that will be necessary to provide support to Scottish students studying in England Recommend a fee significantly less than £1,700 or even in line with the general rise in Teaching Unit of Resource All full-time Scottish domiciled students should be protected and the fee for part-time students should not be increased - however HEIs should still receive the full amount of the Teaching Unit of Resource appropriate to their pattern of study Scottish medical fee should be set separately but should be set lower than the English fees to ensure competitiveness Scottish domiciled students choosing to study medicine as a second degree should be protected from the fee increase Gap year student should be considered as entering HE in their year of admission
Exec should consider the cost burden to HEIs to collect the higher fee and the bad debt that may incur - recognition of this cost should be incorporated into any implementation programme Accept that fees should be similar across the UK but that the cost should reflect quality of the service Should be a bursary system or delayed payment mechanism introduced to ensure HE is available to all Best way to retain medical practitioners in Scotland is to provide an adequate number of places in Scottish HEIs Should recognise the benefits to Scotland of being a net importer of students
All self funded Scottish students and non- UKEU students should be protected from the fee change Fees for HNC/ HNDs should be set at the same level as degrees, the merging of the funding councils provides an opportunity to remove this divisive element and create greater parity between the sectors Support for proposals, including setting medical fees at £3000
Important however to ensure that Scotland remains an attractive destination for students wishing to settle here Agree that interests of Scottish domiciled students, including medical students, should be protected Also need to ensure continuing widening access
Support for proposals but 2006-07 is too early to introduce the increase in fees given uncertainty of fee levels in England Further clarification required on self-funded students (including part-time students) Should consider bursaries for English students to widen access Unclear what level of Graduate Endowment students will be expected to pay Concern over alterations to the balance of institutional funding between SHEFC block grant and individual fee All Scottish students should be protected from increase Suggest that fee level is retained at £1,200 for 2006/07 Need to ensure Scotland continues to attract RUK students Further consideration needs to be given to arrangements for HNs
Supportive of proposals Students with an HNC/D which does not provide entry to year two or three should be protected from the increase for any years not recognised Students studying a second degree or repeat year should be liable for increased costs Fee levels for HNs should be increased for those in parity with those programmes offered at year 1 and 2 in an HEI setting
Supportive of proposals Students with an HND entering first year at university, students who repeat one or more years and students studying for a second undergraduate degree should be protected from increased fee levels
Should postpone introduction of higher fees due to uncertainty and volatility in England Need to take account of longer-term demographic projections in Scotland; short-term solutions for 2006 might not be appropriate longer-term Self-funded students undertaking a first degree or HN students should be protected from higher fee increases Student who enter first year HE with an HND will have a further financial burden if they are subject to the fee increase Are often good causes for repeat years - should be protected BMA Scotland should discuss with individual medical schools any belief it has in artificial barriers Need for continuing dialogue between SE and HE sector on fees Also need for greater flexibility of response on part of Scottish HEIs In favour of differential fees for medicine
Support increased fee range and higher fee for medicine No protection for 2nd first degree students Regard should be given to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds who will be most affected by increases Protection should be given to those entering first HE with an HND and protection to those repeating a first year only Incentives should be available to GPs and Consultants who decide to practice in Scotland and should reflect supply and demand across the country
Fee level increase should be delayed for 2006-07 giving that year to assess the impact of higher fees in England If increase does take place in 06/07, fee should be set at £1,700 Provision should be made for less well off students from RUK to receive bursary support All Scottish and non- UKEU full-time first degree students and HN students should be protected from the increase in fees Medical fee should be broadly comparable with that in England and bursaries should be available for less well off students from RUK to equivalent value available to those in England Changes to tuition fees should apply equally to HNs and other HE provision
Make any new arrangements as administratively simple as possible Need to make decision quickly and clarify position for all students Fees should be set at minimum level required to maintain current levels of cross border flows Any protection to be introduced to protect self funded Scottish students must be dealt with by SAAS rather than individual HEIs Concession should only be available to gap year students who apply for entry in September 2006 and are then granted only one year's deferment In favour of provision in Scotland for bursary support as being offered in England
Inconsistent with FT scheme to put up barrier to prevent RUK students studying here and settling in Scotland: is it impossible to raise the cap and get this financed by HMT Perception given to international students that Scotland has lower quality HE if Scotland charge £2000 p.a. and England charge £3000 p.a. RUK students should have to have the same access to bursaries if they choose to study in Scotland Might be the least worst option but prefer to delay introduction of increase and 'wait and see' in 2006-07
Any fee changes should be clearly publicised and explained to students that it does not mean a higher fee for Scottish students Support for principle but need to monitor fee only students closely Current fee levels should be retained for HNs Exec should ensure that it builds into its annual timetable, arrangements that would ensure that universities and colleges are informed at appropriate time what the fees will be for the following academic year Support for setting higher fee for medicine Should also keep under review demand for other subjects that attract high numbers of cross border students
Opposed to principle of increasing tuition fees but as already determined, should set fee at minimum level required to ensure stability in cross border flows and keep fees under annual review; should apply equally to fees for medicine Clarification required on when RUK students will be required to pay fees e.g. up front Protection from increased fee for all Scottish domiciled students including those studying for a second undergraduate degree, those students who repeat one or more years, students studying medicine who intercalate and those entering first year HE with an HND Support the Calman Review suggestion that Scottish Medical Schools should review the need for five Highers to be obtained at one sitting Saving generated by increase fees should be used to widen access to medicine Do not support any proposals for 'golden handcuffs'
Students with an HND who enter first year university should be protected from fee changes Also protected should be students who repeat one or more year, "false start" students, graduate entrants to medicine but not other subjects Concern about impact of changes across the UK on social mix of students if fees are to rise in Scotland Should be between £1,700 - £1,900 and kept under review Fee levels for HNs should be maintained at current levels Would be a concern if much cheaper to study medicine in Scotland but also need to ensure widening access
Stressed need for balance between protecting needs of Scottish domiciled students and continuing / increasing attractiveness to RUK students - latter particularly important for science-based subjects Concerned in long-term about impact of demographic decline in Scotland, bursaries offered in England could lead to imbalance in social mix of England students who come to Scotland Number of subject areas where Scottish HEIs have encountered falls in demand from Scots domiciled students, a number of HEIs have therefore only been able to maintain enrolments in these areas by recruiting from RUK and would not like the increase in fees to be a detriment to this Medicine possibly only area where action is required in short-term In favour of allowing modest growth in number of funded places, to allow increase in RUK students Would suggest delaying introduction of increased fee in 2006/07
Opposed in principle to tuition fees and consequently variable fees Unfortunate but necessary to take action - but should set fees at minimum level to maintain balance Concern about impact on widening access Should ensure good social mix, therefore need to take account of bursaries being offered in England Consideration needs to be given to the extra living costs incurred in a fourth year of study in Scotland Increased fees should only be for the purpose of regulating cross border flows and not as a revenue raising tool The fee level should be set based on updated calculations which include a thorough evaluation of bursary provision, living costs and recruitment objectives Every Scottish domiciled student should be protected from the changes There should be careful monitoring of the applications from EU students Against separate fee for medicine, should be last resort to address underlying issues If the precedent is set for medicine to be treated separately then it could lead to other high demand subject area requesting that they be treated as a special case Fees for HNs should not be increased Gap year students accepted for admission in 2005/06 should be protected from the changes
An early resolution of this issue is required to prevent it impacting negatively on Scottish universities ability to recruit from RUK Given bursaries from English HEIs are likely to be centred on subjects central to the development of Scotland's economy, it will be vital to ensure that the Scottish HEIs remain attractive to combat this Essential that a substantial proportion of funding gained from fee increases is used to enable Scottish HEIs to offer bursaries Medical fees should be set at level equivalent to that if studied in England Current fee position for part-time students should be protected The Exec should consider enabling UK fee paying students to defer payments as they will be able to do in England All Scottish and non- UKEU full time first degree students and HN students should be protected from the increases HN fee levels should not be protected from the changes Gap year students should be treated as having entered in 2005/06 but they should be required to apply for a deferment prior to an agreed date Exec should consider using some of the funds gained from increase in fees to increase the SHEFC teaching grant
In favour of re-examining fee payment arrangements for part-time students: are still required to pay upfront fees
Need to ensure, at least, that current mix of Scottish / RUK is maintained Need to ensure that Scottish HEIs are competitively funded in comparison to English HEIs, keeping fees as low as possible Additional funds received from increased fee levels should be used to provide a modest contribution to the uplift required for the support of teaching in Scottish HEIs Recommend deferring introduction of increased fees until 2007/08 Students with an HNC/D progressing into first year of a degree course should be protected from the increases, as should Scottish and non- UKEU students Pleased that part-time students will not be affected by the changes but concerned that part-time students will still not be eligible for fee assistance from SAAS unless they are on a low income, which does not promote the climate of widening participation
Supportive of separate higher fee for medicine Important to ensure that increases in fees do not make it harder for Scottish HEIs to attract sufficient students in key subject areas such as science and engineering Recommend deferring introduction of increased fees for 2006/07 When setting level for medicine, it will be important to take account of: Bursaries which will subsidise overall cost Scottish HEIs which allow good A Level candidates to complete in 3 years rather than 4 Russell Group institutions which will likely charge the full fee amount
Should defer increase in fee in 2006/06 If fee increase does take place then it should be less than £1,700 Students studying for a second degree should be protected If fees are increased in 06/07, then it should be a small increase Supportive of bursaries for less well off UK students Fee changes should be applied to HNs Part-time students should be protected from the fee changes
Supportive of principle Protection from increased fees should apply to students studying for a second degree, students with an HND and students who repeat more than one year
Should make clear that there are no changes to FE support as a result of proposed changes All Scottish domiciled students should be protected from the changes although there is less a case for protecting those studying for a second degree or those who repeat a year Current fee levels for HNs should not be increased
Support for proposals, fees should be set between £1,700 - £1,900 Medical fees should be set at level to maintain broad parity between England / Scotland All Scottish and non- UKEU students should be protected from the fee changes Fees for HNs should be increased to ensure that students don't take advantage of low fees to gain the equivalent of first two years of study and then transfer to a degree course
Supportive of principles but should keep under review, particularly given population decline in Scotland Fees could be set at c£2,000 All categories of Scottish and non- UKEU students should be protected from the increases Medical fees should be set at £2,500 More incentives should be in place for medical students to remain in Scotland whatever their nationality Private medical practice in Scotland will never be as lucrative as that in London and England, so consideration is also required of the type of student that is being enticed into medicine and whether for a vocational and people centred discipline that academic grades alone are the correct gauge for those wishing to study medicine HN fee levels should not be increased
No mention of dentistry, perhaps given shortage in Scotland similar considerations could be given More incentives to work in Scotland after qualification
Scotland should use the opportunity to set a price lower than that of England, thereby attracting the most talented students from RUK - need to retain flat rate of fees Cost saving from the charging of fees to RUK students should not be linked to the cost of providing support to Scottish students studying in RUK New fee level should be the lower end of the proposed range All Scottish students should be protected from the fee changes Opposed in principle to differentiation in fees Raising the fee for medicine will not result in a higher number of Scottish students studying medicine What is required is a review of delivery of medical training in Scotland and the access routes, especially for Scottish domiciled students Also need to improve retention of medics in Scotland With a view to the recommendation made by E & C Committee, would like Exec to consider alternative suggestions, in particular: Financial incentives to students domiciled in Scotland Encourage institutions to relax the academic entry requirements and consider alternative entry criteria Access to Medicine foundation course for those students who obtained good Highers but not entirely at S5 Special attention to potential medical students as part of existing widening participation schemes Incentives for medical practitioners to remain in practice within NHS Scotland If higher fee introduced then a system where the difference in fees between the general level and the higher fee level could be remitted over the period that a graduate stays in Scotland to practice, e.g. £600 for each year up to a maximum of ten years Fee levels for HNs should not be changed Gap year students who secure a place in 2005/06 but who defer until 2006/07 should be treated as having entered HE in 2005/06 Defer making decision on medical fees until the reality of the situation emerges
Higher fees for medicine could have little effect on cross border flows given the popularity of Scottish medical schools, demand is such that we have one medical school only for English students, is this the right balance? Need higher level of funding for Scottish HEIs Need to consider impact of scholarships whether for ability or widening access Scottish HEIs will not have flexibility available to English HEIs Concerned about disparity in treatment of Scottish, RUK and EU students The two issues of fees from RUK students and funding Scottish students studying in RUK should not be linked
Concern about affecting disadvantaged students from less well off backgrounds from RUK Would recommend a wait and see approach for 2006/07 and deferring introduction of higher fees until 2007/08 If it does go ahead in 2006/07, then it should be at the lower end of scale and should be accompanied by bursary support for RUK students All Scottish and non- UKEU full time first degree and HN students should be protected from the fee change HN fees should be increased in line with those in HEIs Recognise need to ensure no adverse impact of English fee regime for Scottish students
Fees should be set at £1,200 All Scottish domiciled students to be protected from change Would have been desirable for LA Education Depts to have been included in membership of IAG Following the drafting of a report as an outcome of the consultation, it should be the subject of a number of seminars with a view to securing as comprehensive a picture as possible of the way forward Support for increased medical fees Support for retaining HN fees at current level
Supportive of the principle for both general fees and medicine, subject to ensuring does not compromise widening access agenda
Supportive of the principle - could consider deferring for a year to assess impact Scottish HEIs should be able to provide bursaries to support widening access All self funded Scottish and non- UKEU students should be protected from the changes Current fees for HNs to be retained
Supportive of principles All full-time Scottish domiciled students should be protected from the changes, part-time students should also be protected Supportive of principle of separate fee for medicine but need to ensure that widening access continues to be promoted Should retain current fees for HNs but keep under review
Against proposals All options in Calman Review should be explored rather than increase medical fees

Views / Concerns

Should welcome brightest students to Scotland given population decline
Institutionalises racism

Discrimination of English students

Will deter students from coming to Scotland which will in turn mean that the shortage of doctors continues

Increased fees will deter:
- 2nd Degree self funding students
- those who enter HE via an HND
- Part-time students who don't receive fee-remission
In favour of fee remission to all Scottish domiciled students

Scottish HEIs should be encouraged to seek the numbers of students they can manage from whatever domicile, there should be no special protection for Scottish students

Should encourage more students from RUK to study at Scottish HEIs & charge an appropriate amount

Income from fees to be retained by HEIs

Longer term, allow differentiation of fees by subject in response to market demand & HEIs desire to expand/contract particular course

Support should be given for a first degree only, & not for repeat years; the relevant HEI can treat a student exceptionally for suitable reasons e.g. ill health

Would be advisable to wait and see what happens in the case of medical students

Too soon to take action in 2006/07

Agree with general principles, fee level should be high enough to generate savings to cover the cost of Scottish students attending English HEIs

Self funded and non- UKEU students should not be protected from the fee increase in short term

Long term, may need to reconsider for skills shortage areas

Agree that separate flat rate should be set for medicine but that scholarships should be introduced to help widen access

Should not change fee levels for HNC/Ds

Gap year should be treated as entering an HEI in the year in which they were accepted for admission

Course of action proposed is practical and consistent with Scottish priorities and needs

Agree with general principle, fees should be set at £1,700-£1,900; self funded Scottish and non- UKEU students should not be protected from increase, medical fees should be set at a level broadly comparable with RUK

HN levels should remain the same, gap year students should be treated as having entered HE in their year of admission

Investigation should be made into variable fee impact for taught postgraduate students

HND level 1 entrants, repeat year student and those wishing to retrain through a second degree should be protected from the changes

Caution required to avoid overreacting to a short-term trend; need for continuous review

Need to consider additional years living costs too

Broad support for suggested approach

Danger that this will damage Scotland's reputation as having a diverse student body

No evidence that well qualified Scottish students are being displaced by an increase from students from RUK - may be better to hold introduction of policy to determine its necessity

Under policy change, there will be an incentive for HEIs to over recruit fees only student in subject groupings which attract very low levels of SHEFC teaching grant

If there are savings from the policy change to the Executive, these should be used to increase the overall Teaching Unit of Resource

Not resourced to offer bursaries to less well off students and these students would therefore be put off applying

The fee level should not be determined by the funding that will be necessary to provide support to Scottish students studying in England

Recommend a fee significantly less than £1,700 or even in line with the general rise in Teaching Unit of Resource

All full-time Scottish domiciled students should be protected and the fee for part-time students should not be increased - however HEIs should still receive the full amount of the Teaching Unit of Resource appropriate to their pattern of study

Scottish medical fee should be set separately but should be set lower than the English fees to ensure competitiveness

Scottish domiciled students choosing to study medicine as a second degree should be protected from the fee increase

Gap year student should be considered as entering HE in their year of admission

Exec should consider the cost burden to HEIs to collect the higher fee and the bad debt that may incur - recognition of this cost should be incorporated into any implementation programme

Accept that fees should be similar across the UK but that the cost should reflect quality of the service

Should be a bursary system or delayed payment mechanism introduced to ensure HE is available to all

Best way to retain medical practitioners in Scotland is to provide an adequate number of places in Scottish HEIs

Should recognise the benefits to Scotland of being a net importer of students

All self funded Scottish students and non- UKEU students should be protected from the fee change

Fees for HNC/ HNDs should be set at the same level as degrees, the merging of the funding councils provides an opportunity to remove this divisive element and create greater parity between the sectors

Support for proposals, including setting medical fees at £3000

Important however to ensure that Scotland remains an attractive destination for students wishing to settle here

Agree that interests of Scottish domiciled students, including medical students, should be protected

Also need to ensure continuing widening access

Support for proposals but 2006-07 is too early to introduce the increase in fees given uncertainty of fee levels in England

Further clarification required on self-funded students (including part-time students)

Should consider bursaries for English students to widen access

Unclear what level of Graduate Endowment students will be expected to pay

Concern over alterations to the balance of institutional funding between SHEFC block grant and individual fee

All Scottish students should be protected from increase

Suggest that fee level is retained at £1,200 for 2006/07

Need to ensure Scotland continues to attract RUK students

Further consideration needs to be given to arrangements for HNs

Supportive of proposals

Students with an HNC/D which does not provide entry to year two or three should be protected from the increase for any years not recognised

Students studying a second degree or repeat year should be liable for increased costs

Fee levels for HNs should be increased for those in parity with those programmes offered at year 1 and 2 in an HEI setting

Supportive of proposals

Students with an HND entering first year at university, students who repeat one or more years and students studying for a second undergraduate degree should be protected from increased fee levels

Should postpone introduction of higher fees due to uncertainty and volatility in England

Need to take account of longer-term demographic projections in Scotland; short-term solutions for 2006 might not be appropriate longer-term

Self-funded students undertaking a first degree or HN students should be protected from higher fee increases

Student who enter first year HE with an HND will have a further financial burden if they are subject to the fee increase

Are often good causes for repeat years - should be protected

BMA Scotland should discuss with individual medical schools any belief it has in artificial barriers

Need for continuing dialogue between SE and HE sector on fees

Also need for greater flexibility of response on part of Scottish HEIs

In favour of differential fees for medicine

Support increased fee range and higher fee for medicine

No protection for 2nd first degree students

Regard should be given to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds who will be most affected by increases

Protection should be given to those entering first HE with an HND and protection to those repeating a first year only

Incentives should be available to GPs and Consultants who decide to practice in Scotland and should reflect supply and demand across the country

Fee level increase should be delayed for 2006-07 giving that year to assess the impact of higher fees in England

If increase does take place in 06/07, fee should be set at £1,700

Provision should be made for less well off students from RUK to receive bursary support

All Scottish and non- UKEU full-time first degree students and HN students should be protected from the increase in fees

Medical fee should be broadly comparable with that in England and bursaries should be available for less well off students from RUK to equivalent value available to those in England

Changes to tuition fees should apply equally to HNs and other HE provision

Make any new arrangements as administratively simple as possible

Need to make decision quickly and clarify position for all students

Fees should be set at minimum level required to maintain current levels of cross border flows

Any protection to be introduced to protect self funded Scottish students must be dealt with by SAAS rather than individual HEIs

Concession should only be available to gap year students who apply for entry in September 2006 and are then granted only one year's deferment

In favour of provision in Scotland for bursary support as being offered in England

Inconsistent with FT scheme to put up barrier to prevent RUK students studying here and settling in Scotland: is it impossible to raise the cap and get this financed by HMT

Perception given to international students that Scotland has lower quality HE if Scotland charge £2000 p.a. and England charge £3000 p.a.

RUK students should have to have the same access to bursaries if they choose to study in Scotland

Might be the least worst option but prefer to delay introduction of increase and 'wait and see' in 2006-07

Any fee changes should be clearly publicised and explained to students that it does not mean a higher fee for Scottish students

Support for principle but need to monitor fee only students closely

Current fee levels should be retained for HNs

Exec should ensure that it builds into its annual timetable, arrangements that would ensure that universities and colleges are informed at appropriate time what the fees will be for the following academic year

Support for setting higher fee for medicine

Should also keep under review demand for other subjects that attract high numbers of cross border students

Opposed to principle of increasing tuition fees but as already determined, should set fee at minimum level required to ensure stability in cross border flows and keep fees under annual review; should apply equally to fees for medicine

Clarification required on when RUK students will be required to pay fees e.g. up front

Protection from increased fee for all Scottish domiciled students including those studying for a second undergraduate degree, those students who repeat one or more years, students studying medicine who intercalate and those entering first year HE with an HND

Support the Calman Review suggestion that Scottish Medical Schools should review the need for five Highers to be obtained at one sitting

Saving generated by increase fees should be used to widen access to medicine

Do not support any proposals for 'golden handcuffs'

Students with an HND who enter first year university should be protected from fee changes

Also protected should be students who repeat one or more year, "false start" students, graduate entrants to medicine but not other subjects

Concern about impact of changes across the UK on social mix of students if fees are to rise in Scotland

Should be between £1,700 - £1,900 and kept under review

Fee levels for HNs should be maintained at current levels

Would be a concern if much cheaper to study medicine in Scotland but also need to ensure widening access

Stressed need for balance between protecting needs of Scottish domiciled students and continuing / increasing attractiveness to RUK students - latter particularly important for science-based subjects

Concerned in long-term about impact of demographic decline in Scotland, bursaries offered in England could lead to imbalance in social mix of England students who come to Scotland

Number of subject areas where Scottish HEIs have encountered falls in demand from Scots domiciled students, a number of HEIs have therefore only been able to maintain enrolments in these areas by recruiting from RUK and would not like the increase in fees to be a detriment to this

Medicine possibly only area where action is required in short-term

In favour of allowing modest growth in number of funded places, to allow increase in RUK students

Would suggest delaying introduction of increased fee in 2006/07

Opposed in principle to tuition fees and consequently variable fees

Unfortunate but necessary to take action - but should set fees at minimum level to maintain balance

Concern about impact on widening access

Should ensure good social mix, therefore need to take account of bursaries being offered in England

Consideration needs to be given to the extra living costs incurred in a fourth year of study in Scotland

Increased fees should only be for the purpose of regulating cross border flows and not as a revenue raising tool

The fee level should be set based on updated calculations which include a thorough evaluation of bursary provision, living costs and recruitment objectives

Every Scottish domiciled student should be protected from the changes

There should be careful monitoring of the applications from EU students

Against separate fee for medicine, should be last resort to address underlying issues

If the precedent is set for medicine to be treated separately then it could lead to other high demand subject area requesting that they be treated as a special case

Fees for HNs should not be increased

Gap year students accepted for admission in 2005/06 should be protected from the changes

An early resolution of this issue is required to prevent it impacting negatively on Scottish universities ability to recruit from RUK

Given bursaries from English HEIs are likely to be centred on subjects central to the development of Scotland's economy, it will be vital to ensure that the Scottish HEIs remain attractive to combat this

Essential that a substantial proportion of funding gained from fee increases is used to enable Scottish HEIs to offer bursaries

Medical fees should be set at level equivalent to that if studied in England

Current fee position for part-time students should be protected

The Exec should consider enabling UK fee paying students to defer payments as they will be able to do in England

All Scottish and non- UKEU full time first degree students and HN students should be protected from the increases

HN fee levels should not be protected from the changes

Gap year students should be treated as having entered in 2005/06 but they should be required to apply for a deferment prior to an agreed date

Exec should consider using some of the funds gained from increase in fees to increase the SHEFC teaching grant

In favour of re-examining fee payment arrangements for part-time students: are still required to pay upfront fees

Need to ensure, at least, that current mix of Scottish / RUK is maintained

Need to ensure that Scottish HEIs are competitively funded in comparison to English HEIs, keeping fees as low as possible

Additional funds received from increased fee levels should be used to provide a modest contribution to the uplift required for the support of teaching in Scottish HEIs

Recommend deferring introduction of increased fees until 2007/08

Students with an HNC/D progressing into first year of a degree course should be protected from the increases, as should Scottish and non- UKEU students

Pleased that part-time students will not be affected by the changes but concerned that part-time students will still not be eligible for fee assistance from SAAS unless they are on a low income, which does not promote the climate of widening participation

Supportive of separate higher fee for medicine

Important to ensure that increases in fees do not make it harder for Scottish HEIs to attract sufficient students in key subject areas such as science and engineering

Recommend deferring introduction of increased fees for 2006/07

When setting level for medicine, it will be important to take account of:
- Bursaries which will subsidise overall cost
- Scottish HEIs which allow good A Level candidates to complete in 3 years rather than 4
- Russell Group institutions which will likely charge the full fee amount

Should defer increase in fee in 2006/06
If fee increase does take place then it should be less than £1,700
Students studying for a second degree should be protected
If fees are increased in 06/07, then it should be a small increase
Supportive of bursaries for less well off UK students
Fee changes should be applied to HNs
Part-time students should be protected from the fee changes

Supportive of principle

Protection from increased fees should apply to students studying for a second degree, students with an HND and students who repeat more than one year

Should make clear that there are no changes to FE support as a result of proposed changes

All Scottish domiciled students should be protected from the changes although there is less a case for protecting those studying for a second degree or those who repeat a year

Current fee levels for HNs should not be increased

Support for proposals, fees should be set between £1,700 - £1,900

Medical fees should be set at level to maintain broad parity between England / Scotland

All Scottish and non- UKEU students should be protected from the fee changes

Fees for HNs should be increased to ensure that students don't take advantage of low fees to gain the equivalent of first two years of study and then transfer to a degree course

Supportive of principles but should keep under review, particularly given population decline in Scotland

Fees could be set at c£2,000

All categories of Scottish and non- UKEU students should be protected from the increases

Medical fees should be set at £2,500

More incentives should be in place for medical students to remain in Scotland whatever their nationality

Private medical practice in Scotland will never be as lucrative as that in London and England, so consideration is also required of the type of student that is being enticed into medicine and whether for a vocational and people centred discipline that academic grades alone are the correct gauge for those wishing to study medicine

HN fee levels should not be increased

No mention of dentistry, perhaps given shortage in Scotland similar considerations could be given

More incentives to work in Scotland after qualification

Scotland should use the opportunity to set a price lower than that of England, thereby attracting the most talented students from RUK - need to retain flat rate of fees

Cost saving from the charging of fees to RUK students should not be linked to the cost of providing support to Scottish students studying in RUK

New fee level should be the lower end of the proposed range

All Scottish students should be protected from the fee changes

Opposed in principle to differentiation in fees

Raising the fee for medicine will not result in a higher number of Scottish students studying medicine

What is required is a review of delivery of medical training in Scotland and the access routes, especially for Scottish domiciled students

Also need to improve retention of medics in Scotland

With a view to the recommendation made by E & C Committee, would like Exec to consider alternative suggestions, in particular:
- Financial incentives to students domiciled in Scotland
- Encourage institutions to relax the academic entry requirements and consider alternative entry criteria
- Access to Medicine foundation course for those students who obtained good Highers but not entirely at S5
- Special attention to potential medical students as part of existing widening participation schemes
- Incentives for medical practitioners to remain in practice within NHS Scotland
- If higher fee introduced then a system where the difference in fees between the general level and the higher fee level could be remitted over the period that a graduate stays in Scotland to practice, e.g. £600 for each year up to a maximum of ten years
Fee levels for HNs should not be changed

Gap year students who secure a place in 2005/06 but who defer until 2006/07 should be treated as having entered HE in 2005/06

Defer making decision on medical fees until the reality of the situation emerges

Higher fees for medicine could have little effect on cross border flows given the popularity of Scottish medical schools, demand is such that we have one medical school only for English students, is this the right balance?

Need higher level of funding for Scottish HEIs

Need to consider impact of scholarships whether for ability or widening access

Scottish HEIs will not have flexibility available to English HEIs

Concerned about disparity in treatment of Scottish, RUK and EU students

The two issues of fees from RUK students and funding Scottish students studying in RUK should not be linked

Concern about affecting disadvantaged students from less well off backgrounds from RUK

Would recommend a wait and see approach for 2006/07 and deferring introduction of higher fees until 2007/08

If it does go ahead in 2006/07, then it should be at the lower end of scale and should be accompanied by bursary support for RUK students

All Scottish and non- UKEU full time first degree and HN students should be protected from the fee change

HN fees should be increased in line with those in HEIs

Recognise need to ensure no adverse impact of English fee regime for Scottish students

Fees should be set at £1,200

All Scottish domiciled students to be protected from change

Would have been desirable for LA Education Depts to have been included in membership of IAG

Following the drafting of a report as an outcome of the consultation, it should be the subject of a number of seminars with a view to securing as comprehensive a picture as possible of the way forward

Support for increased medical fees

Support for retaining HN fees at current level

Supportive of the principle for both general fees and medicine, subject to ensuring does not compromise widening access agenda

Supportive of the principle - could consider deferring for a year to assess impact

Scottish HEIs should be able to provide bursaries to support widening access

All self funded Scottish and non- UKEU students should be protected from the changes

Current fees for HNs to be retained

Supportive of principles

All full-time Scottish domiciled students should be protected from the changes, part-time students should also be protected

Supportive of principle of separate fee for medicine but need to ensure that widening access continues to be promoted

Should retain current fees for HNs but keep under review

Against proposals

All options in Calman Review should be explored rather than increase medical fees

ANNEX B
ANALYSIS OF REPLIES GIVEN TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

General Tuition Fees

Do you agree with the principles on which the general fee level should be based?

Yes 61% No 13% Not answered 13%

Alternatives:

Introduce English style tuition fees (1 response)

At what level should general tuition fees be set?

	No. of responses
£1,200pa	5
Less than £1,700 p.a.	1
£1,700 - £1,900	13
£2,000	1
£3,000 p.a,	2

Should any self funded Scottish or non- UKEU domiciled students be protected from the increased level of tuition fee?

Yes 54% No 4% Not answered 41%

Which categories should be protected?

	No of responses
All categories: first degree, HNs, part-time	16
Second first degree only	1
All other than second first degree if not medicine	1

Medical Tuition Fees

Do you agree with the principle of using tuition fee levels to protect the interests of Scottish domiciled students by setting fee levels for medicine that are broadly comparable with those being set elsewhere in the UK?

Yes 46% No 15% Not answered 39%

What alternative measures could be taken?

Wait and see (1 response)

Implications for FE

Do you agree that the Executive should retain current tuition fee levels for HNs?

Yes 33% No 15% Not answered 52%

Transitional Arrangements

Do you agree that gap year students should be treated as having entered HE in 2005-06, ie prior to the planned changes taking effect?

Yes 59% No 0% Not answered 41%

Page updated: Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Scottish Government