SCOTLAND: Top universities slated for £36,000 fees

Scotland's Education Secretary Mike Russell has criticised the universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews for failing to show restraint after setting tuition fees at the highest level possible for UK students from outside Scotland, writes Chris Marshall for The Scotsman.

Addressing the Scottish parliament's education committee last week, Russell said the two institutions may have "disadvantaged" themselves in terms of attracting students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales. They have opted to charge students £36,000 (US$56,000) for a four-year course, making their degrees the most expensive in the UK.

Russell's comments came as parliamentarians approved measures which will allow Scottish universities to charge up to £9,000 (US$14,000) a year for students from the rest of the UK. He said he hoped to introduce legislation in the New Year which would help widen access to higher education and said he had not given up on finding a Scottish solution to the "flawed" funding arrangements brought in by Westminster.
Full report on the Scotsman.com site