Scots divided on future of SNP's 'free tuition' for university students as half say they support means testing

The survey showed 48 per cent would back the idea of charging fees based on the ability to pay, while 29 per cent would oppose such a move.

However, other findings suggested the nation would be closely split on the issue, with 44 per cent saying they back Scottish Government support for all undergraduates, while 43 per cent said those who can afford it should contribute.

And when asked how ministers should prioritise post-school education funding, 61 per cent said the money should be targeted at apprenticeships, while just 26 per cent said university tuition fees for all first-time undergraduates.

The findings have emerged as the Government comes under fresh pressure to arrange urgent talks on the future of higher education funding in Scotland, with Dundee University battling for survival and others, including Edinburgh University, embarking on huge cuts.

All the main political parties in Scotland are currently committed to maintaining free tuition for Scottish undergraduates, which was introduced after the SNP came to power in 2007.

However, a report published today by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland offers new insights into the public's attitudes to higher education funding.

The study is based on polling by Ipsos UK, which asked 1,057 adults in December for their views on the sector.

It showed widespread support for some form of help with the cost of tuition fees, but opinions were divided on the extent and scope.

In response to one question, 44 per cent said the Scottish Government should continue to support all first-time undergraduates, including those studying part-time, while 43 per cent would prefer those whose family’s can afford it, to pay at least some of their tuition fees.

However, when presented with alternative funding models, 48 per cent supported charging university tuition fees based on the ability to pay, while 29 per cent opposed this idea.

Meanwhile, 35 per cent supported the idea of charging tuition fees to all undergraduate students living in Scotland, with loans available to cover the cost of tuition to be repaid once earning a certain level of income, with 43 per cent being against such a move.

Hannah Garrow is chief executive of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, which was established in 1901 to support students who faced financial barriers to higher education.

She said: “We know how complex the higher education funding system is and how much rides on it. However, recent discussions on how to finance higher education feel like they are stuck on repeat, while, for many people, funding continues to be seen as a barrier to access.

“This research shows that there is room for a more nuanced and open discussion on priorities for funding. If politicians are struggling to come up with solutions, perhaps the public can inject some democratic innovation into the debate.”

Earlier this month, Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Willie Rennie called on ministers to “proceed with urgency” in arranging cross-party talks on a new funding model.

It came as accounts showed eight of 18 Scottish higher education institutions reported an operational deficit for 2023/24, up from four in the previous year.

Days after Mr Rennie’s intervention, Dundee University announced plans to axe more than 600 jobs to try to ensure its survival.

The crisis in the sector has been widely blamed on years of underfunding from the SNP Government to pay for the “free tuition” of Scottish undergraduates, combined with a drop in fee-paying international students, as a result of visa changes and anti-immigration rhetoric from the previous Conservative government at Westminster.

Universities also face a further £45m blow over Labour’s decision to raise employer National Insurance contributions.

A spokesperson at Universities Scotland, which represents the nation’s higher education institutions, responded to the new polling.

“When asked about the subject of funding university education, the public clearly hold a mix of views and approach the subject with a nuanced understanding,” she said.

“The public also come at this question with a desire to ensure the model is progressive and supports those most in need.

“For far too long Scotland’s conversation about university funding has been in a binary loop of free versus fees. It’s time to move beyond that and get into a different kind of conversation.

“This survey suggests that conversation is already happening amongst the public. It is a conversation that needs to start in a meaningful way amongst our political leaders too.”

Other findings from the poll included that 63 per cent still believed going to university was “worth it”, compared to 15 per cent who held the opposite view.

Meanwhile, almost two-thirds said they had little or no knowledge of the way the sector was funded in Scotland.

A total of 43 per cent agreed that too many people in Scotland continued to face barriers to going to university, with those from low-income households and disadvantaged backgrounds considered most likely to experience this.

When asked where the Scottish Government should prioritise post-school education funding, 61 per cent of respondents backed apprenticeship places which allow young people to “earn while they learn”, followed by 51 per cent in favour of grants or bursaries for low-income and disadvantaged students to cover the cost of living .

Upskilling and retraining for adults on low incomes and supporting people who face barriers to university were prioritised by 43 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government’s commitment to free tuition will not change.

“Access to higher education should be based on the ability to learn - not the ability to pay. The commitment also ensures that Scottish students do not accrue additional tuition fee loan debt incurred by their peers in the rest of the UK.

“Latest UCAS data shows that a record number of Scots were accepted to study at a Scottish university through the 2024 cycle.”