The Principal of Dundee University has said introducing a graduate tax is the only way to maintain the standard of higher education in Scotland.
Professor Pete Downes, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, was speaking after a new report on university funding in England said the cap on tuition fees should be scrapped.
Professor Downes said “the time has come” to accept that a new way of paying for university education in Scotland must be found in the face of unavoidable public spending cuts.
Tuition is currently free in Scotland but even the National Union of Students Scotland has said it accepts that some form of graduate tax may have to be introduced to help pay for university education.
Despite this, it remains a controversial proposal, which many feel would deter people from poorer backgrounds attending university.
Craig Kelly, the former president of Dundee University Students’ Association, said NUS support for graduate tax was “like turkeys voting for Christmas”.
Now the head of Dundee University has said he believes it is the only way to maintain funding for Scottish institutions.
He said, “Maintaining the quality of Scottish institutions of higher education in the face of unprecedented cuts in public spending is essential to stimulate recovery and as the foundation of the knowledge-led economy which is the only viable future for Scotland.
He said, “Universities accept that they must shoulder a share of the cuts in public spending that will be required to narrow the deficit, not least in order to prevent an even greater burden being placed on other essential sectors which are dependent upon public expenditure.
“The time has therefore come to recognise that maintaining the international competitiveness of Scottish universities will not be possible without additional funds which will lessen the burden on the public purse.
“I believe this should be achieved by introducing a graduate contribution to the cost of higher education in Scotland.”
Professor Downes said students should only begin paying graduate tax once they are earning a certain amount of money.
“The graduate payment should not be in the form of upfront tuition fees, but should be recovered from graduates after they have reached an agreed threshold income,” he said.
“A graduate contribution should also be set at a level to maintain the competitiveness of Scottish universities within the UK and internationally, and should be targeted to improving student learning and experience and to support widening access schemes.”
However, he said research funding remains vital.
“We need a different approach for research funding and I believe the Scottish Government, through the Scottish Funding Council, should do all that it can to maintain support via the public purse for the infrastructure that underpins Scotland’s world-class research base,” said Professor Downes.
“Just taking life sciences in Dundee as one example, we currently receive £6.8 million in research funding from the Scottish Funding Council, but that generates another £29.5 million from other sources, much of it from industry.”
“That support has enabled us to build a world-class centre for life sciences research at the university, which is central to a wider biotech cluster which accounts for around 16% of the local economy.
“It is essential we continue to receive that central support if we are going to maintain our ability to attract further funds and maintain a position of international strength.”