SCOTTISH universities have seen a decline in the number of applications from prospective students from other parts of the UK after moves to charge them higher fees.

Official figures from Ucas, the universities admissions service, show applications from England, Wales and Northern Ireland have dropped by 5% over the past year from 24,979 to 23,689.

The decline follows the decision by the Scottish Government to allow universities north of the Border to introduce fees of up to £9000 for students from the rest of the UK (RUK).

The new charges, which apply from this year, were introduced to raise additional revenue for universities, but there were fears the higher fees could deter students from coming.

Mary Senior, Scottish official of the UCU lecturers' union, said the potential drop was worrying.

"It is still concerning that the introduction of significant tuition fees is having an impact in this way," she said.

"If Scotland is seen as an expensive option then that could have a serious impact on universities here because the RUK student market is such an important one."

Robin Parker, president of student representatives NUS Scotland, attacked the decision to let universities charge fees.

It has left institutions such as St Andrews and Edinburgh offering the UK's most expensive degrees.

"Whilst we won't have a complete picture of the situation until after the deadline for applications, there are some clear indications about what is happening," he said.

"We again see a decline in numbers of RUK students due to the imposition of fees and the reckless decision by some Scottish institutions to charge the highest amount in the UK."

Mr Parker also highlighted figures that show a 15% decline in the number of Scots applying to universities in England – where they face fees.

"Scottish students who might want to go to English universities appear to be put off by the trebling of fees south of the Border," he said.

"It's clear that both systems need urgent attention and reform in order to protect access for all, regardless of financial background."

Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, which represents university principals, said Scots universities were doing better than the rest of the UK.

"The final Ucas figures will not be known until after the application deadline closes on January 15 so until then we are unable to predict the outcome of year-on-year figures," he said. "The number of applications to university is likely to gather momentum as the final deadline approaches and Universities Scotland continues to encourage students from all backgrounds to apply to university."

A Scottish Government spokesman added: "The latest university application figures make interesting reading from a Scottish perspective, but we will be drawing no firm conclusions until the final picture is published by Ucas later this year.

"A university education in Scotland is free to Scots-domiciled students and we are taking action to protect places at Scottish institutions for Scottish students, which forms part of our work on reforming post-16 education in this country. This work will mark a new future for our young people, but also maintain the proud tradition of higher education in Scotland."