Scottish Government “underfunding” of universities has left the sector increasingly dependent on cash from foreign students, it has been claimed.

Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives showed the number of new students coming to Scotland to start their degrees has trebled since the SNP came to power.

In 2021-22 there were 18,280 first time undergraduate international students who came to Scotland from outside of the European Union – with this total up from 6,000 in 2007-08.

The Tories contrasted this 205% increase with the 60% growth in the number of new Scottish students starting university here over the same period.

A record 33,880 Scottish domiciled students started their first, full-time degree course at a Scottish university in 2021-22 – with this total up 595 from the previous year.

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