Scottish degrees take four years, but the university says rest of UK undergraduates will only be charged a maximum of ?, 000, as in England.

The Scottish education minister, Michael Russell, had predicted a ¡°likely¡± average fee in Scotland of ?6,375, substantially lower than the ?8,393 set in England.

Ian Diamond, principal and vice-chancellor of Aberdeen, said: ¡°As Scotland's third oldest university, and the fifth most ancient in the UK, Aberdeen has a long track record as a destination of choice for students from other parts of the UK.

¡°The university has attracted increased numbers of [rest-of-UK] students in recent years keen to reap the benefits of a highly regarded four-year Scottish degree, which we have further enhanced by being the first university in the UK to revolutionise our curriculum to make our graduates even more employable.

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¡°Decisions on [rest-of-UK] fees represent a very difficult choice both for governments and for universities, however maintaining a fee at the current level for students from the rest of the UK is no longer an option.

¡°Given that we are one of the world¡¯s top 150 universities and our graduates enjoy some of the best starting salaries in the UK, Aberdeen must remain an academic destination of choice, without disadvantaging those who wish to enjoy the benefits of a four-year Scottish degree.¡±

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Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, said: ¡°While I recognise the need to increase fees for students from the rest of the UK to stop Scottish students being squeezed out of their own institutions by 'fee refuges', rushing to [?9,000] is extremely disappointing. The figure ignores that many factors affect a student¡¯s decision to study in other parts of the UK.¡±

david.matthews@tsleducation.com