The increasingly high price of further education is putting students at risk of not being able to afford their degrees.
Former SNP First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The rocks will melt with the sun before I allow tuition fees to be imposed on Scotland.”
Although education is public in Scotland, universities work as private institutions, and can increase the price of tuition fees and accommodation as they please.
For Scottish students, this means no tuition fees are to be paid as stated in the Scottish education policy.
Before Brexit, this was the case for all EU students too. Students who wanted to attend university in Scotland didn’t have to pay tuition fees, except for English students, who have always had to pay tuition fees in Scotland.
I got lucky – I started my degree in 2020, meaning I haven’t had to pay a penny in tuition fees (as they have been paid by SAAS).
As I entered my last year of university, I found myself thinking about my next steps. For me, a postgraduate MA seemed like the next logical step.
After a couple of weeks of researching I was stunned by the overwhelming price attached to the courses I have chosen. As a young adult who is only starting her adult life, the tuition fee prices are very much out of my budget.
This is the case for many students who end up having thousands of pounds in debt before even having a full-time job. Scottish students graduate with average debts of £15,430, according to the Student Loans Company. This debt comes from living costs, which the Scottish students do have to pay.
For an international student who has completely based her life in Scotland, moving back home is a decision I rather not make. But as a broke student, I don’t have £20,000 to spare on tuition fees alone.
Scottish universities seem to be desperate for money, thus, they prefer to accept students from abroad who must pay extortionate tuition fees. This clashes with the strong education policies that had been put in place by the SNP many years ago.
With students coming from many different backgrounds, the price to pay to have an educated future seems to be heading to one only the wealthiest will be able to afford.
All for a piece of paper that will, hopefully, land you the job of your dreams.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
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