Universities in Scotland are battling to attract students from the rest of the UK in what promises to be “a clean-up campaign like no other”, offering a range of financial incentives to entice them to study across the border.
Tens of thousands of pounds in bursaries and bursaries are being offered to students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to entice them to take up places to study in Scotland this September.
With education being a devolved policy area in the UK, each nation’s government can set its own tuition fees and student support. Scotland does not charge tuition fees to its own students and as a result their numbers are limited.
Students from England and other UK countries, however, are charged £9,250 a year when studying at Scottish universities, which will also be hoping to make gains after seeing a dramatic drop in student applications of the EU after Brexit.
Overall applications from UK 18-year-olds to study in higher education have surpassed all previous records, increasing competition, according to data released by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas). in the most sought-after universities.
The pressure on places has been further exacerbated by the fact that several institutions, particularly those in the research-intensive Russell Group of universities, are reducing recruitment after A-level inflation during the pandemic forced them to take on students additional The proportion of applications that resulted in an offer fell from 60.5% in 2021 to 55.1% this summer.
University staff at Scottish Higher Education expect to be exceptionally busy during the clean-up process this summer. “It promises to be a cleanup campaign like no other,” said one.
Heriot-Watt, Strathclyde and Dundee are among those expected to benefit. Heriot-Watt University, for example, offers a £1,500 scholarship for UK students from outside Scotland, known as RUK or Other UK Students, to help pay for travel costs.
Dundee offers an Academic Excellence Scholarship to RUK students who have AAB or above at A Level, worth £3,000 for each year of study, as well as a one-off Discover Dundee Scholarship worth £2,000, paid in two terms in the first year. The University of Aberdeen offers ‘merit bursaries’ to RUK students, of £5,000 for those with AAA A-levels and £3,000 for students with AAB or ABB.
Strathclyde is offering £1,200 for RUK students achieving AAB, also a one-off accommodation grant of £1,000 for RUK students paying fees of £9,250, while Edinburgh Napier University is promoting its Merit Scholarship of £1,000 per year for RUK students with BBB or better. at A level. Access grants are also available for students from lower income households.
“The impact of the lockdowns means this year’s cleanup will be different with grades starting to return to normal and universities managing their numbers carefully,” said Lucy Everest, global chief operating officer at Heriot University -Watt.
“While most universities north of the border will already have reached their limit for students in Scotland, there are places available on these same programs for the rest of the UK.
“There are financial incentives to attract students who want to go further afield and consider studying at Scottish universities, which are already attractive to home students because they don’t pay fees.
“At Heriot-Watt, for example, financial support is available to UK-based students outside of Scotland to help pay for their travel costs, an important boost especially in the context of the cost crisis of life
“Scottish universities have an unprecedented opportunity this year, but it is UK-based students south of the border who will be the big winners.”
A University of Dundee spokesperson added: “Dundee is an extremely attractive destination for students, as evidenced by the industry-leading growth in international recruitment. We have a competitive range of scholarships for RUK students and cleaning could result be a life-changing opportunity.”
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Sander Kristel, Ucas’ chief operating officer, said clearance was expected to be “dynamic” this year with at least 30,000 courses on offer.
“Incentives offered to students during clearing can be very useful for many applicants, especially when they offer savings on accommodation and ongoing costs. However, our advice is always to prioritize course options over any incentives because the study is a long-term commitment that can shape future directions.”