Calls for Scottish Government to help foreign students after quarantine hotel price hike

The cost of a quarantine hotel will now rise from ÂŁ1,750 to ÂŁ2,285.

Author: Linsey HannaPublished 6th Aug 2021

The Scottish Government is being urged to step in and support students travelling in to Scotland to study - following a hike in the cost of quarantine hotels.

It's after UK Ministers agreed yesterday to contracts which increase the price by 30%.

The cost of a quarantine hotel will now rise from ÂŁ1,750 to ÂŁ2,285.

But the National Union of Students in Scotland has urged the Scottish Government to help foreign students manage the cost of the hotels to ensure they can take their place at college or university.

NUS Scotland president Matt Crilly said the decision was a "shameful attack on international students", adding: "Students rightly feel let down and betrayed after already paying exorbitant fees, sky-high costs for accommodation in addition to visa costs, and healthcare charges.

"I am deeply concerned that this move will force many students to drop out of their studies. No student should be priced out of education as a result of quarantine charges.

"I ask the Scottish Government to urgently intervene to protect Scottish international students and scrap quarantine charges for those who are travelling for essential education purposes."

People coming to Scotland from a red list country are forced to enter what the Scottish Government has called "managed isolation". They must spend 10 days in a designated hotel in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen.

Hear all the latest news from across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk on Forth 1. Listen on FM, via the Rayo app, on DAB or on your smart speaker.