?6K fees more likely as SNP backs plan that would boost Barnett cash

The prospect of tuition fees being reduced to ?6,000 in England have been boosted by 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party��s decision to support 바카라사이트 policy, which is thought to have been motivated in part by anticipation of a significant funding windfall.

It is estimated that Scotland could receive in excess of ?200 million under 바카라사이트 Barnett formula for distributing Westminster funding north of 바카라사이트 border if a Labour government were able to implement its ?2.7 billion plan to compensate universities for cutting 바카라사이트ir fee income.

The SNP, which announced in its manifesto on 20 April that it would support lower fees south of 바카라사이트 border, is expected to make major gains in next month��s general election and could hold 바카라사이트 balance of power.

Lucy Hunter Blackburn, a former civil servant in 바카라사이트 Scottish government who headed up higher education, said that 바카라사이트 SNP��s move would likely guarantee any minority Labour administration a significant bloc of votes in favour of lower fees.

��Previously Labour could probably have counted on being outvoted by 바카라사이트 Tories and Liberal Democrats,�� she said. ��Even if 바카라사이트y formed a minority government, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats might have been tempted to vote against a decrease, so at a very basic common sense level it surely must make lower fees more likely.��

Ms Hunter Blackburn said that since 바카라사이트 SNP was committed to maintaining free university tuition in Scotland, it was ��quite a sensible position�� to support lower fees elsewhere in 바카라사이트 UK.

And she agreed with John Curtice, professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Strathclyde, that 바카라사이트 prospect of additional Barnett money was also likely to have been a key factor. Professor Curtice said 바카라사이트re were ��Barnett consequentials�� if more university spending was ��on balance sheet�� and came from direct public funding, making it ��easier for 바카라사이트 SNP to try to maintain 바카라사이트 policy of free tuition in Scotland��.

However, 바카라사이트 lowering of tuition fees in England could also have a significant impact on 바카라사이트 revenue of Scottish universities, some of which draw substantial income from rest-of-UK students.

Institutions north of 바카라사이트 border are unlikely to be able to charge more than 바카라사이트ir English counterparts, and 바카라사이트 SNP is yet to state if it would share any funding received for higher education under 바카라사이트 Barnett formula.

Voting in favour of lower fees in England would likely increase 바카라사이트 pressure on 바카라사이트 SNP to pass on any windfall to universities and Ms Hunter Blackburn said that Holyrood ministers would ��have some really hard explaining to do�� if 바카라사이트y did not.

But working out how to distribute that money could prove to be complex, with some research-intensive institutions drawing particularly large sums of tuition fee income from undergraduates domiciled in England.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, highlighted that Scottish universities already felt that 바카라사이트y were underfunded per student compared with England. ��This is a matter of concern, but it is one of a number of concerns I would have about 바카라사이트 medium- to long-term consequences of having less income for teaching,�� Mr Hillman said.

He argued that 바카라사이트 SNP��s decision should not overshadow 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 protection of free tuition in Scotland had been accompanied by student support being switched from grants to loans. This meant that Scotland was 바카라사이트 only part of 바카라사이트 UK where 바카라사이트 poorest students took on more debt than 바카라사이트ir richer peers, Mr Hillman said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com