14 September 2012

Scottish Universities' Irish Passport Loophole To Be Closed

The Scottish government has decided to close a loophole that allowed Northern Irish students to study for free as long as they had an Irish passport.

Under new rules coming in next year, it will not be enough to hold an EU passport to dodge the fees of up to £9,000 per academic year.

Instead, students will need to prove they have lived in an EU state for at least three months.

But in fact admissions from Northern Ireland are down by 195 this year, despite claims that hundred of students from here would rush to take up the chance of free university education.

The move follows some heated scenes in the Scottish Government.

In May this year, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives accused the Scottish National Party-led government of following the policy that "nobody's noticed yet so it will all be alright" when it came to the loophole.

Ruth Davidson said that under the then-current interpretation of European law, any UK citizen with a grandparent from any EU nation could have their fees "met by Scottish taxpayers".

Changing the rules today, the SNP's Education Secretary Michael Russell said that the new guidance for universities would "ensure a consistent approach across Scotland and provide clarity for students".

Professor Pete Downes of Universities Scotland said that a predicted influx of NI students with Irish passports had not materialised. He said: "Despite much speculation, Scotland's universities have not seen a large influx of applicants from Northern Ireland looking to exploit the loophole."

(NE)