Scotland: £6.75m for HE int’l activity in draft budget
Published 04/02/2021
Higher education institutions in Scotland are seeking to maintain enrolments from the EU, while its government in Holyrood has said it hopes to increase the budget for international activity by 674% to £6.75 million.
The Scottish government has indicated it would establish scholarships for EU and international students to continue to welcome them to Scotland as part of its Further and Higher Education Sustainability Plan, published in July 2020.
Scotland hopes to “maintain our links with Europe following the UK’s exit from the EU”
A draft budget for 2021-22 – published January 28 – also included a budget increase for University and College International Activity of 674% to £6.75m “to strengthen our international education and research relationships through scholarships”, a spokesperson told The PIE.
Scotland hopes to “maintain our links with Europe following the UK’s exit from the EU and promote Scottish learning and research internationally through our Global Alumni Network and expansion of our Saltire Scholarship Programme”, the document noted.
The Saltire Scholarship Programme currently offers 50 £8,000 awards for any postgraduate masters program in the country.
Those eligible include citizens from Canada, China (including Hong Kong), India, Japan, Pakistan and USA. More details will be announced in coming months, the Scottish government added.
The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow has also revealed an EU Transition Scholarship ranging from £5,000-£10,000 discounts depending on level and area of program.
The University of Aberdeen has announced a £8,000 undergraduate tuition fee discount and a £5,000 discount for postgraduate students to “help to mitigate the immediate effects of Brexit on our EU student community”. In 2019/20, more than half of its 5,000+ international students were from the EU.
Similarly, the University of Stirling has revealed an automatic 40% tuition fee discount for eligible postgraduate EU students, as well as an EU Undergraduate Scholarship providing a £5,000 discount per year for the first three years and a scholarship covering the full cost final year.
Other providers such as the University of Glasgow and the University of St Andrews have widened opportunities for highly qualified students from across the EU.
In the UK, institutions are also looking to maintain EU enrolments via scholarships.
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