Abolish SNP's free university tuition for students who can afford it, say half of Scots
Half of Scots support reintroducing tuition fees for students whose families can afford to pay, new research has revealed.
The report, published by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, found 48 per cent of Scottish adults would back the idea of charging fees 'based on the ability to pay'.
Fewer than a third of respondents (29 per cent) said they would not back such a move, according to polling conducted by Ipsos Mori.
Although there was widespread support for the taxpayer providing 'some form of help' with the cost of fees, Scots were divided over the 'extent and scope' of the assistance that should be provided.
While 44 per cent said the Scottish Government should support all first-time undergraduates, 43 per cent said students' families should pay at least some of their fees if they can afford to do so.
SNP ministers responded to the findings by vowing to stick with their flagship free-tuition policy, which means that even the wealthiest students pay nothing.
But the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, which was founded using funds from industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1901, said the research showed 'there is room for a more nuanced and open discussion on priorities for funding'.
The report was published after Scottish universities warned last week that they were 'dangerously reliant' on income from foreign students to survive under the SNP's current funding model.
The SNP Government pays universities £1,820 for each Scottish student to cover the 'free' tuition each year but institutions have warned this does not nearly cover the cost of providing courses.
Scotland's universities have been keen to recruit international students to help plug the financial black hole, as they charge them up to £40,000 per year in tuition fees.
But official figures last week disclosed overseas student numbers dropped by more than 10,000 last year, with industry body Universities Scotland warning this had left the sector 'in a hugely exposed position'.
A series of Scotland's most eminent universities warned of cuts, with Edinburgh stating it needs to make urgent savings to plug a £140 million budget gap.
Hannah Garrow, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland chief executive, said: 'We know how complex the higher education funding system is and how much rides on it.
'However, recent discussions on how to finance higher education feel like they are stuck on repeat, while for many people funding continues to be seen as a barrier to access.'
Ms Garrow argued the research showed that 'the public can inject some democratic innovation into the debate' if politicians were 'struggling'.
Asked where the Scottish Government should prioritise its funding for post-school education, 61 per cent backed apprenticeship places allowing young people to 'earn why they learn'.
Half said grants or bursaries for low-income students to help cover the cost of living, while only a quarter (26 per cent) said funding all first-time undergraduate tuition fees.
'Commitment to free tuition will not change'
A Universities Scotland spokesman said: 'For far too long Scotland's conversation about university funding has been in a binary loop of free versus fees. It's time to move beyond that and get into a different kind of conversation.
'This survey suggests that conversation is already happening amongst the public. It is a conversation that needs to start in a meaningful way amongst our political leaders too.'
Miles Briggs, the Scottish Tory shadow education secretary, said: 'We will continue to engage with Universities Scotland to develop policies for the benefit of young people across Scotland. The SNP must do the same and consider options to fix the financial crisis across the university sector.'
But a Scottish government spokesman said: 'The Scottish Government's commitment to free tuition will not change. Access to higher education should be based on the ability to learn – not the ability to pay.
'The commitment also ensures that Scottish students do not accrue additional tuition fee loan debt incurred by their peers in the rest of the UK.'
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