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Not quite right - in Scotland, it's actually free for all EU students EXCEPT for English, Welsh, and Northern Irish students. And as mentioned above, it's free
by vrikis 13y ago
Not quite right - in Scotland, it's actually free for all EU students EXCEPT for English, Welsh, and Northern Irish students. And as mentioned above, it's free in the sense that students don't pay, but it's all subsidised by SAAS organisation. (nothing in life is "free", right?)
- arethuza 13y agoThanks - I didn't know about that. Seems rather unfair to the rest of the UK then....
- agilebyte 13y agoThe explanation given to me was: it is possible to discriminate between students from different parts of an individual member state but not to discriminate against those from other parts of the EU.
- vrikis 13y agoExactly that, plus Scots going to study in England had to pay their fees. As a side note though, if Scotland becomes independent when voted later on this year, then "Thousands of English, Welsh and Northern Irish students will study at Scottish universities for free" [1] [1]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/1020373/English-students-could-get-free-tuition-at-Scottish-universities.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/102...
- rahimnathwani 13y agoif Scotland becomes independent ... "... English, Welsh and Northern Irish students will study at Scottish universities for free..." This assumes that an independent Scotland would be a member of the EU, which is far from certain: http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/impossible-for-scotland-to-join-eu-says-barroso-1-3308359 http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/impossible...
- arethuza 13y agoIf Scotland leaves the UK then there isn't a UK anymore - so why would England, Wales and NI still be in the EU? :-) i.e. If a country splits into two parts surely you have two new countries.
- vrikis 13y ago> “So it is to some extent a similar case because it’s a new country and so I believe it’s going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, a new member state coming out of one of our countries getting the agreement of the others.” See this is where everything just gets confusing... Scotland already IS a country by itself, as is England, NI, and Wales, so if Scotland were to become independent, it would in no way be a "new" country, would it? mhhhh, my head hurts.
- rahimnathwani 13y agoIs Scotland really a country, in the sense that we usually understand the word?
- vrikis 13y agoIt's difficult to answer, but I'd say yes. It doesn't in the sense that Scotland (nor does England, NI, Wales) have its own embassy in other countries, etc. All members of the United Kingdom are tightly integrated (e.g. Scotland doesn't issue money, but privately held banks-e.g. Bank of Scotland-do print money on behalf of central government) so it's really difficult to say but for the most part, it's more of its own country than now, I'd say.
- rahimnathwani 13y agoThere is no hard-and-fast rule as to what makes a country (aka "Nation State"). However, there are a few clues: - Issues its own currency - Recognised as a sovereign state by other countries - Taxes its people - Issues passports and polices its borders The UK does all of these. As far as I'm aware Scotland does at most 1 of them. A couple of other notes: - Privately-held banks don't print money on behalf central government. Those 'Bank of Scotland' notes bear a promise (obligation) made by the Bank of Scotland, and not by any government. - That England, NI, Wales don't have their own embassy in other countries is irrelevant. I'm not arguing that they are countries. it's more of its own country than now, I'd say. Do you live in Scotland?