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The Times Higher Education, read only by some academics, has this below but as you can see above this important news is being hidden from the electorate:
‘We’re looking at all parts of the system – except tuition fees’
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/were-looking-all-parts-system-except-tuition-fees
The THE article by Helen Packer is actually not at all supportive of the Scottish Government, foregrounding the views of critics so, even hear the SNP election campaign is being questioned.
How does Scotland’s free university tuition system compare with other systems charging students thousands in fees in terms of wider societal and economic benefits?
Scotland’s system shines in reducing financial barriers and debt-related harms, fostering broader participation (especially via colleges) and a societal ethos of education as a right. It likely delivers net positives for social cohesion, mental health, and consumption-driven growth, with graduates freer to contribute flexibly to society. Grok AI
Sources:
Reduced Financial Barriers and Debt-Related Harms
- Lower graduate debt in Scotland (typically £15,000–£18,000 vs. £45,000+ in England, mostly maintenance loans only):
- Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on Scottish universities and students under pressure: https://ifs.org.uk/articles/scottish-universities-and-students-are-under-pressure-and-so-scottish-budget
- Recent analysis showing £35,000+ debt gap widening (Scottish graduates at ~£18,000 vs. English at ~£53,000): https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25792940.snp-labour-clash-tuition-fees-debt-gap-widens
- Scottish Government Student Finance and Wellbeing Study literature review (noting lower overall debt due to no fees): https://www.gov.scot/publications/literature-review-student-finance-wellbeing-study-scotland-2023-24/pages/7
- Vox overview of Scotland’s free tuition lessons (applications rose, debt lower, enabling freer post-grad choices): https://www.vox.com/2015/10/22/9592460/college-tuition-free-scotland
- Relief from fees and debt aversion (qualitative relief, affordability, no “decades of debt”):
- Scottish Government Student Finance and Wellbeing Study findings (students report relief at fees paid, making study more affordable): https://www.gov.scot/publications/student-finance-wellbeing-study-sfws-scotland-2023-2024-research-findings-summary/pages/3
- Political framing (education based on ability to learn, not pay; graduates “tens of thousands better off” for careers, homes, families): https://www.facebook.com/ChristineGrahameMSP/posts/in-scotland-we-believe-access-to-education-should-depend-on-the-ability-to-learn/1279309497352513
Broader Participation (Especially via Colleges)
- Increased applications/participation post-fee abolition (24% rise in Scotland vs. drop in England):
- Vox citing Filipa Sá research: https://www.vox.com/2015/10/22/9592460/college-tuition-free-scotland
- College routes key for disadvantaged growth (90% of disadvantaged entry growth via sub-degree college programs; broader tertiary inclusion):
- Sutton Trust report on access in Scotland (higher overall HE participation including colleges, though university gaps persist): https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Access-in-Scotland_May2016.pdf
- Royal Society of Edinburgh on tertiary funding (colleges critical for social mobility, inclusion, skills, and economic prosperity): https://rse.org.uk/programme/advice-paper/funding-of-tertiary-education-in-scotland-report
Societal Ethos of Education as a Right / Social Contract
- Free tuition as part of devolution’s “social contract” (ability to learn, not pay; commitment to equity/access):
- King’s College London on number controls and free HE: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/the-cost-of-free-higher-education-university-number-controls-in-scotland
- Wonkhe / Carnegie Trust on free fees as hallmark of modern Scotland and social contract: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/tuition-fees-are-a-social-contract-with-small-print (or similar Carnegie link)
Net Positives for Social Cohesion, Mental Health, and Consumption-Driven Growth
- Mental health / wellbeing links (lower debt reduces stress; fee relief aids affordability/mental relief, though living costs remain):
- Scottish Government Student Finance and Wellbeing Study (broader financial experiences, relief from fees): https://www.gov.scot/publications/student-finance-wellbeing-study-sfws-scotland-2023-2024-main-report/pages/18
- Inferred from debt comparisons (lower burdens enable better mental health outcomes vs. high-debt systems): https://www.gov.scot/publications/literature-review-student-finance-wellbeing-study-scotland-2023-24/pages/7
- Consumption / flexible contribution (lower debt supports earlier milestones like homeownership/family, freer career choices including lower-paid public service roles):
- Political/government statements (graduates better off for building futures without debt burden): https://www.facebook.com/ChristineGrahameMSP/posts/in-scotland-we-believe-access-to-education-should-depend-on-the-ability-to-learn/1279309497352513
- Broader economic framing (education investment for societal wellbeing, growth via skilled workforce): https://rse.org.uk/programme/advice-paper/funding-of-tertiary-education-in-scotland-report
These sources provide a mix of empirical data (debt levels, participation trends) and policy/qualitative insights (ethos, relief, societal benefits). Some critiques note regressive elements or funding strains, but the positives on debt reduction and access ethos are consistently highlighted in pro-policy sources.
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Talking-up Scotland 
More unreported news. So what is the MSM actually for other than profits?
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Propaganda, owned by the oligarchs, mega rich out to scam the poor, and determined to take down the SNP in Scotland. Simple.
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Considering how much comment there has been in the last few days in the MSM and Social media about student debt in England and among other things the effect of high interest rates on increasing their debt you would have thought the MSM here and in England would have been keen to highlight Scotland’s different approach.
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‘Considering how much comment there has been in the last few days in the MSM and Social media about student debt in England ….’ – indeed!!
From the Guardian (February 3): ‘Student loans: why is Martin Lewis clashing with Rachel Reeves? – MoneySavingExpert founder has said changes that will lead to some graduates in England and Wales paying more are ‘not moral’.
‘Why exactly are Lewis and Reeves at loggerheads? ‘The disagreement is focused on the estimated 5.8 million people who took out a student loan between September 2012 and July 2023. For many of these graduates, everything they hand over from their salary is dwarfed by the interest that is slapped on their debt every month. (my emphasis)
‘What prompted the latest row is Reeves’s decision to freeze the salary threshold for repayments for “plan 2” student loans for three years – which means many graduates will now have to pay even more.’
‘This salary threshold, above which plan 2 graduates have to repay 9% of anything they earn, will rise to £29,385 in April this year, and normally it would have been expected to then rise again each year. However, Reeves announced it will stay frozen at that level until 2030.
‘What does Martin Lewis want? – He said his message to the chancellor was: “I do not think it is a moral thing for you to do to be freezing the repayment threshold in this way … You didn’t say the terms were variable. This isn’t right. Please have a rethink.” ‘Lewis added that in his opinion, students had a contract, and the government was “unilaterally changing the terms. You tell companies they can’t do that – you shouldn’t do it either … It would not be allowed for any commercial lender, it would go against all forms of consumer law.”
From the Guardian (February 6): ‘£99,987 and counting: graduates trapped by ballooning student loans – As their debts rise, graduates reveal how loans are reshaping careers, finances and faith in the system’. ‘
‘I’ll never be able to get rid of it’ ‘Amy Cayzer, a 24-year-old communications officer working in the charity sector, graduated in 2023 with a first-class degree. She has already watched her student debt rise by tens of thousands of pounds thanks to interest rates that have been as high as 8%. ‘Cayzer, who is from a low-income family and was the first to go to university, graduated with £73,814 of debt. This has increased to £93,793, and “will soon exceed £100,000”.
“It’s overwhelming to realise that, even though I’m paying every month, it doesn’t make a difference to what I owe. It takes away all hope that you’ll ever be able to pay it off,” she says. “This is going to be with me for 30 years … I’ll never be able to get rid of it, no matter how much I pay towards it.”
“Friends from wealthier backgrounds, she says, “didn’t have to pay as much back”, often because their parents subsidised them. “That just perpetuates inequalities,” Cayzer says. ‘She was 17 when she first began looking into student finance and 18 when she signed up for it. She says the scale and longevity of the debt was not fully explained. “The way it was explained, it didn’t really capture the long-term nature of it,” she says. “It was underplayed.” ‘While she does not regret going to university, she says the burden now feels “disheartening” – and worries it may deter others from similar backgrounds.’
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GET THIS ONTO LEAFLETS AND DISTRIBUTED ALL AROUND
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