Recommendation 4

EU students paying international student rates can provide a new and potentially lucrative income stream for Scottish universities, though this new income stream may face the same risks posed to fees from international students. Although applications from EU students have dropped by about 40% for 2021–22 (that year being the first year that EU students will pay the new rates), this is a lower drop than many in the sector had feared, and Scottish universities will now receive four to five times more income per EU student than was previously the case. That said, it is important that, following Brexit, Scotland is still able to attract the brightest and best from the EU. 4 Universities and Scotland This is not only because EU students tend to gravitate towards vital STEM subjects (which can otherwise be difficult to recruit for), but also because EU students are more likely to stay on in Scottish academia/research once they graduate than other international students. These students can play a key role in our economic recovery following the pandemic. The UK Government should launch a new or expanded scholarship scheme to encourage the most talented EU students to study in the UK and Scotland. This would help heal UK-EU divides following Brexit, assist in combating falling EU student numbers in Scotland and provide a new pathway to attract and retain the brightest and best from the EU. In addition, the UK Government should increase funding to Study UK in order to increase their capacity to target EU students who may be hesitant to study in the UK.