Little Change in Numbers of University Applicants from Scotland

Yesterday, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) released their statistics on applications for full-time degree level courses at Universities in the UK beginning later on this year. University

Their figures include all applications considered 'on time' for their 15 January deadline and provide a reliable indicator of demand for higher education in the UK this year.

This year's figures for application rates for 18 year olds show a modest increase for those who live in Scotland - up 0.3%. At the same time the number of applicants for University who live in England has increased by more than 0.9%.

In relation to demand for degree level courses in our Universities in Scotland, there has been a significant rise in the number of applicants from outside Scotland. it is too soon to know what effect this rise in 'other UK' applicants will have on our Universities. These applicants from England, Wales and Northern Ireland pay hefty tuition fees, up to £9000 per year for Edinburgh and St Andrews University, which is well in excess of the fees paid by the Scottish Government for students domiciled in Scotland.