Total costs of educating EU students in Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

1. How many EU students received free university education in Scotland since 2007?

2. What the total cost to the taxpayer is of providing free university education to EU students in Scotland since 2007?

Response

1. Figures below include all EU domiciled full-time students supported by the Students Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) on eligible courses at Scottish Higher Education Institutions, in receipt of tuition fees only. These figures do not include students on the Nursing and Midwifery Bursary Scheme or the Part-Time Fee Grant scheme.

EU domiciled students studying full-time on eligible higher education courses in Scotland were generally eligible to have their tuition fees paid by SAAS through the undergraduate scheme during the period considered (2007-08 to 2020-21).

Number of EU domiciled full-time students supported by SAAS for tuition fees only at Scottish Higher Education Institutions, 2007-08 to 2020-21

Academic session	Number of students
2007-08	8,110
2008-09	9,000
2009-10	10,510
2010-11	10,855
2011-12	11,505
2012-13	12,665
2013-14	12,685
2014-15	13,535
2015-16	13,555
2016-17	13,640
2017-18	13,655
2018-19	13,600
2019-20	13,550
2020-21	13,205

Source: SAAS
Note: Student numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.

2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested, under section 17(1) of FOISA. However, while we do not hold the exact information requested we have provided relevant data below.

The figures provided below include amount paid by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) to EU domiciled full-time students at Scottish Higher Education Institutions in tuition fees only between 2007-08 and 2020-21. These figures do not include additional costs of providing this group of students with free university education in Scotland, for example block grant allocations made to institutions by the Scottish Funding Council for teaching and learning delivered to EU students.

Amount of support provided by SAAS in tuition fees to EU domiciled full-time students at Scottish Higher Education Institutions, 2007-08 to 2020-21

Academic session	Amount (£ million)
2007-08	13.6
2008-09	16.0
2009-10	19.5
2010-11	20.5
2011-12	21.9
2012-13	23.2
2013-14	23.1
2014-15	24.6
2015-16	24.6
2016-17	24.7
2017-18	24.7
2018-19	24.5
2019-20	24.5
2020-21	23.9

Source: SAAS
Note: Amounts refer to tuition fee support provided, in millions, and are rounded to the nearest £100,000.

The table below presents the average teaching spend in cash terms per university place (Full-time equivalent (FTE)) between 2007-08 and 2020-21. This data is not specific to EU students. Each year’s spend, which is provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), is estimated by taking the total teaching grant awarded to universities divided by the total number of SFC funded places for Scottish and EU  domiciled FTEs. Expenditure figures exclude funding for student support, SFC’s research and strategic funds, and tuition fees that SAAS pay.

The teaching grant per funded place allocated to universities will be higher than the grant per actual enrolment of students eligible for funding as the sector has tended to recruit more students than the allocations of funded places. Therefore this measure may overestimate the average amount of funding associated with actual student places. Since the cost implications of the teaching grant vary for different subjects, the average figure may also differ for EU students depending on the distribution of these students in different subjects.

Average Teaching Grant Funding per Full-time equivalent (FTE) (including SG funded places, excluding tuition fees and student support) in cash terms, 2007-08 to 2020-21

Academic session	Average expenditure (£) per university place (FTE(1)) in cash terms
2007-08	5,073
2008-09	5,182
2009-10	5,209
2010-11	5,219
2011-12	5,115
2012-13(2)	5,379
2013-14	5,514
2014-15	5,620
2015-16	5,655
2016-17(3)	5,435
2017-18	5,437
2018-19(4)	5,560
2019-20(5)	5,563
2020-21	5,703

Sources: SFC
Notes:
1. Total FTE figures are SFC/SG funded places and do not include fees only (i.e. number of students eligible for funding recruited by universities above their number of funded places) and international places.
2. The rest of UK places were removed from 2012-13 on a phased basis (new students in 2012-13 and each new cohort thereafter over a 5 year period).
3. In AY 2016-17 there was a 2.9% reduction in HEI gross teaching prices.
4. In 2018-19, The additional places at St Andrew’s for rUK Calman students clinical training were funded separately by SFC however are not included for continuance.
5. The university allocation includes funded places and funding for childcare that were announced after the publication of the final funding announcement, to ensure consistency with other years.

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