ONE of Scotland's top universities has undercut its closest rivals by setting lower levels of fees for students from the rest of the UK.

Glasgow University announced yesterday it would charge students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland £6750 a year, capped at £26,000 for a four-year honours degree.

The move was welcomed by academics, who praised the university for showing “restraint”.

The reaction is in stark contrast to the reception given to previous announcements from the universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews, which are among Glasgow’s rivals in Scotland.

Both institutions set fees of £9000 a year for students from the rest of the UK (RUK), ushering in the most expensive degrees in the UK at £36,000.

That provoked warnings that Scottish universities could be seen as profiteering from RUK students.

By choosing a lower fee, Glasgow is also undercutting UK counterparts in the prestigious Russell Group of universities, which includes Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle. It is hoped the move will help the university to attract more RUK students by offering a Russell Group degree at a competitive cost.

Announcing Glasgow’s decision, principal Anton Muscatelli said the fee for an undergraduate degree would be £6750 a year, with all RUK students entering first year awarded a bursary or fee waiver of £1000.

However, those studying medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine will be charged £9000 a year, reflecting the higher costs.

“We greatly value the contribution, both academic and social, that students from the rest of the UK make to our campus and are committed to doing all we can to ensure they continue to be a welcome part of our university,” said Mr Muscatelli.

“We have decided to do this to ensure Glasgow remains inclusive, affordable and that we continue our strong tradition of offering education to all based on their ability to learn, irrespective of their background.”

David Anderson, president of the university branch of the UCU lecturers’ union, said: “Glasgow has shown a level of restraint sadly lacking elsewhere in Scotland’s universities. We remain opposed to the marketisation of education, but we welcome the decision not to take advantage of students from the rest of the UK.”

The need to alter the fee level paid by RUK students in Scotland was prompted by UK Government changes to university funding.

Because institutions were allowed to charge up to £9000 a year in the rest of the UK, the SNP Government decided to let Scots institutions charge similar fees to prevent them from becoming a cheap option. The charging of fees was also seen as helping to close the funding gap between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Higher education in Scotland remains free to Scottish students.

Most Scottish universities have now declared their charges, with figures collated by The Herald showing the average annual fee for a four-year degree currently stands at £6946.

This is likely to fall slightly once the final four universities have announced their fees.

The figure is only a few hundred pounds a year higher than the £6375 average anticipated by Michael Russell, the Education Secretary.

Meanwhile, the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) came under fire for charging higher fees than many other Scottish universities -- including Strathclyde and Glasgow. RUK students at UWS will pay £7250, or £29,000 for four years.

A spokesman for UWS said they had not introduced a cap because it was anticipated the vast majority of students would be able to achieve a degree within a three-year period.

“In setting its RUK fees the university has aimed for equity and we will continue to help all students to restrict their study costs by reducing the length of time it takes for them to achieve a degree,” he added.

“UWS will undertake further work on arrangements for additional financial support in consultation with student representatives.”

However, Robin Parker, president of NUS Scotland, said the decision was “truly astounding”.

“Only Edinburgh and St Andrews have set higher fees, making UWS among the most expensive institutions in the whole of the UK,” he said. “This is a huge mistake which could tarnish the reputation not just of UWS, but also of Scotland as a whole.”