I WRITE to clarify the position of the chairs of Scottish universities regarding fees charged to students living in the rest of the UK ("University chiefs demand end to tuition fees cap", The Herald, February 19).
We have no intention or desire to charge higher fees to rest-of-UK (RUK) students than the current cap of £9000 as erroneously stated in the sub-heading to the article. In our submission to the Scottish Parliament's Education Committee we said legislation was not required to ensure compliance with an upper-fee limit equal to the maximum elsewhere in the UK as Scotland's universities have held to this cap voluntarily for the academic year 2012/13 and for the fees set out for new entrants in 2013/14.
We see great value in the cross-Border flows of students within the UK. Ensuring that Scottish institutions set fees and bursaries at a competitive level with institutions in England is key to guaranteeing the flow of students to Scotland; a judgment Scotland's universities would largely seem to have made correctly given that applications from students from England are up 14.7% for entry in 2013/14.
Alan Simpson,
Chairman of the University of Stirling, Chairman of the Committee of Scottish Chairs, Arntomie, Port of Menteith, Stirling.
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