The Scottish Government has dismissed claims that independence could treble the cost of free university tuition for foreign students.
Under European law, students from EU member states have their fees met by the taxpayer at a cost of £75 million a year, while those from England, Wales and Northern Ireland have to pay up to £9000 a year each.
Tory education spokeswoman Liz Smith asked the Scottish Government how much additional funding would be required to support students from the rest of the UK if Scotland became an independent member of the EU.
A written answer in the name of SNP education secretary Mike Russell replied: ”There are approximately 20,000 students from the rest of the UK studying for a first degree at Scottish universities. If all of these students were to qualify for regulated places as EU students then the cost of providing these places would be approximately £150 million.”
Ms Smith claimed universities were already facing a funding gap and added: ”This sum on top of that gives a clear indication of the size of the black hole that would be left in every education budget if the SNP got their way.”
Labour education spokesman Hugh Henry said: ”The question needs to be asked where will this money come from? Will there be further cuts to Scotland’s hard pressed colleges? Or will Alex Salmond make further cuts to the funding for the sick, the disabled and the elderly?”
A Scottish Government spokesman last night said: ”This is simply not true and amounts to little more than scaremongering. These figures are hypothetical.
”The simple fact is we are maintaining free access to university for Scots based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay. In an independent Scotland this will continue to be the case, and we are continuing to examine how we could raise additional income from students from outside Scotland, within EU law.”