SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES have experienced an increase of 6 per cent in UCAS applications from EU students to Scottish universities.

Applications to the country’s top universities saw the greatest increases. The University of Edinburgh saw an increase of 24 per cent and the University of St Andrews saw an increase of 35 per cent.

Mike Russell, the Scottish Education Secretary, told The Herald, “these figures will be welcome reading for Scotland’s education sector, and the resilience shown by applications to Scotland compared with the rest of the UK are a vindication of the approach the Scottish Government has taken on student fees and funding the sector.

“The full picture around acceptance figures will emerge later this year, but high levels of applications from abroad reflect the excellent reputation Scottish universities enjoy abroad.”

Russell argues that an increase in applications reflects the renowned international standing of Scottish universities. The University of Edinburgh reports that the university ranks 15th for employability in Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) World University Rankings, and that the degree flexibility at Edinburgh draws students to apply.

“We’re pleased that students across the UK and overseas continue to recognise the high quality of education on offer in Scotland,” a spokesperson for Universities Scotland told the BBC.

Due to the decreases in EU applications to other parts of the UK, the figures have provoked criticism of the Scottish Government’s policy of subsidising the tuition fees of both EU and Scottish Students.

Liz Smith, Conservative MSP and the Conservative spokesperson for Education and Lifelong learning, criticised the SNP’s fee policy, telling The Scotsman that, “these figures lay bare the true extent of the inherent inequalities of the SNP’s policy on fees. A huge increase in students from the European Union has seen a coinciding fall in the number of students applying from the rest of the UK.

“At a time when budgets are tight, the Scottish Government is duty bound to explain to taxpayers why they are being asked to foot the bill for the tuition fees of foreign nationals.”