For prospective students applying to study in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, last year was pretty simple. Everyone paid the same fees of £3,375. The only exception was that Scottish students wanting to study in Scotland didn’t have to pay any tuition fees, and those from the rest of the UK studying in Scotland only paid £1,820.
The picture is a bit more complex now. Reforms in teaching funding across the UK have led to a combined impact with fees now ranging from £0 to £9,000.
The chart below shows the potential tuition fees in 2012-13.
(Remember: UK student don’t pay their fees upfront, but can take out a government loan to cover tuition fees and living costs. Some students can also get maintenance grants. Please see the Independent Student Finance Taskforce for more information.)
| Tuition fees 2012-13 |
English institution |
Welsh institution |
Scottish institution | Northern Irish institution |
| English applicant |
Up to £9,000 fee |
Up to £9,000 fee |
£1,800 to £9,000 |
£1,380 to £9,000 |
| Welsh applicant |
Up to £9,000 fee (1) |
Up to £9,000 fee (1) |
£1,800 to £9,000 (1) |
£1,380 to £9,000 (1) |
| Scottish applicant |
Up to £9,000 fee |
Up to £9,000 fee |
£0 for most applicants (2) |
£1,380 to £9,000 |
| Northern Irish applicant |
Up to £9,000 fee |
Up to £9,000 fee |
£1,800 to £9,000 |
£1,380 to £3,465 |
| EU applicant |
Up to £9,000 fee |
Up to £9,000 fee (2) |
£0 for most applicants (2) |
£1,380 to £3,465 |
(1)The Welsh Assembly Government will cover the difference between £3,465 and up to £9,000 for Welsh students studying in the UK and EU students (non-UK) studying in Wales.
(2) Scottish and EU-students (non-UK) will have their fees paid if they meet certain criteria, including being an ordinary resident in Scotland and respectively in the EU for at least 3 years. More information can be obtained from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
(More grants and loans may be available to prospective students but not listed here for simplifying purposes.)
Application rates
The percentage point change for application rates from 2011 to 2012 shows that the application rate of Northern Irish and Scottish applicants has declined at institutions outside of their own country, but increased at institutions within their own country, where the tuition fees system makes it more economical for them to study.
For Welsh students, the Welsh Assembly will pay the difference between £3,465 and a potential £9,000 fee if they study in any UK country. For this reason, it makes no difference for Welsh students where they study in terms of tuition fees.
The graph below shows a similar picture for English and Welsh applicants in their own country from 2011 to 2012. However, while the application rate for Welsh applicants continues along the recent downward trend, the application rate for English applicants now declines against the trend of previous years, where their rate had increased. Looking at trends over a few years can shed a bit more light on the developments.
Table 2: Percentage point change in applications rates for 18 year olds 2011 to 2012
Source: UCAS data, tables 15 and 16
Trends in recent years in application rate of 18-year olds
Instead of looking at the percentage point change of the application rate between two years only as above, we can also look at the recent trends in the different countries. A recent report from UCAS includes demographics to put the changes in applicant rate into perspective.
Inside a student’s own country
- The recent trends that have broadly continued were for Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh applicants to choose to study in their own countries. The application rate for Welsh students applying in their own country has continued to decline as it has done in recent years, while it has continued to increase for Scottish and Northern Irish students.
- The application rate of English-domiciled students applying within their own country has decreased compared to the recent trends.
Outside a student’s own country
- The application rate of young Welsh applicants to study outside of Wales has continued to increase in line with recent trends. Tuition fee- wise it makes no difference where Welsh applicants study.
- For young people from Scotland and Northern Ireland the application rate to study outside of their own country has fallen in 2012. For Northern Irish applicants the application rate inside their own country had increased strongly between 2008 and 2010, and after that it has declined. Fees have increased for Scottish and Northern Irish students wanting to study outside of their own country from 2012 onwards.
- The application rates for English students applying to institutions outside of England are very small and have only changed slightly.
It is a complex picture and there are many variables, such as the wider and regional economy, job prospects, differences in access to student support, such as grants and loans across the countries of the UK, students own perceptions and nudges from their families, friends and teachers. We might never be able to pin point why certain applicants have taken certain decisions, but some of the reasons for these changes could be down to price sensitivity.
Whatever happens, Universities UK will continue to monitor changes over the coming months.
