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Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money have been handed to foreign students or education projects overseas, new figures reveal.
Experts warn the higher education sector is in the grip of a cash crisis – but millions have been given to students from outside the UK, or schemes in their home countries.
There is also concern that Scottish students are being denied places at universities in Scotland because of the SNP Government’s cap on places as a result of its commitment to ‘free’ degrees.
The new figures sparked concern last night that £4.8million has been found for foreign subsidies – rather than funding more places for Scots or easing cash problems for higher education north of the Border.
Scottish Tory MSP Tim Eagle said: ‘The SNP Government’s years of cuts have led to a crisis in funding in higher education and prevented many Scottish students from obtaining places at their own universities.
‘Our world-leading universities rightly value foreign students and many offer their own scholarships.
‘But eyebrows will be raised by this admission that the government has also provided millions to pay for foreign subsidies, especially when the Nationalists’ flawed funding model has created an over-reliance on overseas income, with damaging consequences for both university funding and Scottish students.’
A Holyrood written answer by Graeme Dey, minister for parliamentary business, said scholarships in Scotland are ‘primarily funded and managed by institutions themselves’ but the Scottish Government has provided funding towards a number of scholarship programmes for foreign nationals between 2016 and 2025.
These include Saltire scholarships from 2009 to 2023, amounting to £2.25million in postgraduate places, and £2,067,500 for Scotland Pakistan Scholarships for Young Women and Girls, with £234,000 for online MBA scholarships for women in Zambia at Heriot-Watt University’s business school in Edinburgh.
Funding of £224,127 was given to the Girls’ Initiative for Resilient Learning and Support for vulnerable girls and young women.
Officials said the cash was for direct scholarships for students and for educational iniaitves in foreign countries.
Last week, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), which funds higher education, said most of Scotland’s colleges are ‘not sustainable’ and some could become insolvent this year.
The SFC also predicted most of the country’s universities would go into the red in 2025-26, as tuition fee income wanes and costs rise.
Universities Scotland called it the ‘starkest set of financial figures we have ever seen’.
The Scottish Tories blamed SNP mismanagement for the crisis, with the party’s education spokesman Miles Briggs saying the reports made ‘grim reading’.
The assessments were contained in two reports based on annual accounts and forecasts from the institutions.
Commenting on foreign subsidies, Higher and Further Education Minister Ben Macpherson said: ‘International students make a valuable and enriching contribution to our economy and our society – the Scottish Government strongly believes that they are welcome at our universities.
‘We want to encourage more people to study in Scotland – not only do they add to our universities generally but often they also help in our public services and engage in creating economic growth and innovation, both during and after their studies.
‘Separately, the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund is a small pot of money that makes a big difference for those involved in the projects it supports.
‘Over a period of years, grants have removed barriers to quality education for a limited number of girls and women from low-income backgrounds in Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda and Pakistan, helping them to complete secondary education and transition to tertiary or technical education.
‘This has helped enable them to fulfil their potential, including positively contributing to Scotland during any time here.’
Read more
- Is Scotland’s bold ‘free’ education promise crumbling amidst a staggering drop in overseas students and looming financial chaos?
- What challenges face Scottish students aspiring for university amidst a soaring demand from foreign fee-paying applicants?
- Could Scotland’s tuition-free education policy spell doom for its prestigious universities?
- Are Scottish universities playing with fire? Controversial half a million pound deal from CCP-linked institutions sparks debate!
- Are Scottish councils and universities drowning in millions of DEI expenses, leaving taxpayers to foot the ever-growing bill?
