THERE are few silver linings to be found amidst the Brexit gloom, but one that has emerged is a potential new funding stream for Scottish universities worth as much as £120 million.

Under current EU rules the right of free movement for workers extends to students which means EU nationals can study in another member state and are entitled to the same tuition fee arrangements.

Because a university eduction in Scotland is free that means the taxpayer here picks up the tab for the tuition fee costs of EU students, who also compete directly with Scots for places funded from the same public pot.

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In 2014/15 there were 13,312 EU nationals studying full time for a degree at Scottish universities at an estimated cost of £93m.

What will already be piquing the interest of universities is that, after Brexit, these students will no longer be entitled to free tuition and will have to pay fees along with international students and those from the rest of the UK.

Currently the Scottish Government pays an average fee of £7,500 to universities for each student they recruit from the EU or Scotland, but those from the rest of the UK pay £9000 and international students an even higher amount.

According to a briefing published by the Scottish Parliament's information service the switch from publicly-funded to fee paying EU students has the potential to raise somewhere between £60m and £120m.

There are caveats. Scotland currently has a higher proportion of EU nationals attending universities than institutions in England and Wales because of the incentive of free tuition and it is likely numbers will decline as the penny drops that they have to pay fees in future. However, a Scottish university education will remain an attractive option for those EU students who can afford to pay.

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There is another potential benefit to Scottish universities depending on what ministers decide to do with the £93m saved because they no longer have to fund tuition costs of EU students.

Although the sector remains coy about where they would like this money spent it is clear institutions would wish a substantial portion if not all to continue to be invested in the sector, particularly if there was a post Brexit decline in EU student numbers.

And there is one potential scenario which would help both universities and the Scottish Government deliver a high level policy commitment on improving access to students from poorer backgrounds as well as solving a wider squeeze on places.

By 2030, the Government wants to see the proportion of students from the poorest 20 per cent of households rise to 20 per cent, but the current cap on publicly-funded places means that without greater investment an expansion for one group of students will inevitably lead to a reduction in other groups - namely students from politically active and vociferous middle class families.

A report by Audit Scotland has already concluded that Scottish students are finding it increasingly difficult to secure a place at university because applications are increasing at a higher rate than available places.

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It seem logical that if a new income stream becomes available at a time when it is desirable to expand higher education to accommodate more of those who want to go and enable greater numbers from poorer backgrounds to attend then that is where the money should be spent.