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Dear consultee
Consultation On The Draft Student Fees (Specification) (Scotland) Order 2005
You are invited to respond to the consultation on the draft Student Fees (Specification) (Scotland) Order 2005. This draft order covers the proposals to increase tuition fees for higher education courses for 2006/07. The Deputy First Minister announced these proposals on 20 July 2005. The draft order and accompanying documentation are attached in annex A-D.
The proposals covered in the draft order are:
- To set the tuition fee for new entrants to non-medical degree and initial teacher education courses at £1,700.
- To set the tuition fee for new entrants to medical courses at £2,700.
- To set the tuition fee for new entrants to all other undergraduate courses at £1,200.
- To set the tuition fee for existing students on all undergraduate and initial teacher education courses at £1,200.
- To make provision to increase fees in subsequent years at the rate of inflation.
The draft fee order covers fee levels for EU domiciled students. If the order is passed, those students eligible for fee support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS) under the current arrangements would continue to have their fees paid. Those Scots and non- UKEU domiciled students who are not currently eligible for fee support from SAAS would pay a maximum of £1,200 under new arrangements with the remainder paid by SAAS. This is not covered in the draft order as SAAS fee support is covered separately in the regulations covering student support.
The order covers fees for all undergraduate courses. The proposal for courses at sub-degree level. such as HNC/D courses, is to set the fee for all students at £1,200 for 2006/07. This is an increase in line with inflation. Similarly the proposed fee level for existing students will be set at £1,200 for 2006/07. Students accepted for entry in 2005/06 who chose to defer for a year and those transferring from another institution anywhere in the UK will be treated as existing students in 2006/07 under these proposals. In future years those transferring from an institution elsewhere in the UK will be charged at the Scottish level irrespective of the fee charged at their previous institution.
A 60 day public consultation is required on a draft order to increase tuition fees beyond the rate of inflation. In this case we are extending the consultation period to 72 days to allow for the Christmas and New Year break. As well as announcing the consultation on the Scottish Executive website at www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/current , I am writing to stakeholders and respondents to the previous consultation on cross border student flows. Annex E gives a full list of consultees.
Annex F gives full details on how to respond to the consultation. If you have any questions about the consultation please contact Lindsay Conn on 0141-242-0175 or Hugh McAloon on 0141-242-0165.
Thank you for your in advance for your engagement on this issue.
Yours faithfully
Gill Troup
Head of Higher Education & Science Division
Annex A
Annex B
Annex C
Annex D
Annex E
Annex F
Annex G
Annex H