FOI/202200282430 · FOI · not held
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. About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Enquiry Unit Email: ceu@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrews House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
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.
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