A senior Scottish Conservative MSP has restated her call for a cross party discussion on the future of free university tuition as she accused politicians of having their 'heads firmly in the sand' over the matter.

Liz Smith, the party's finance spokeswoman, earlier this year urged politicians to debate the issue when she was interviewed by The Herald after the matter was raised in Holyrood.

She said in January then the policy meant that university places for Scottish students were capped with many having to move elsewhere in the UK to study where they have to pay £9,000 a year for courses.

This, she suggested, could have a detrimental effect on the Scottish economy and skills because of the risk students moving to England, Wales or Northern Ireland may not return with their new qualifications after they finish their courses and contribute to the economy.

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A graduate endowment scheme was brought in under the Labour/Lib Dem executive in 2001/02, when the payment was set at £2,000, payable the April after graduation.

Alex Salmond's first SNP Government scrapped the graduate endowment after winning the Holyrood election in 2007 and since then students who have lived in Scotland for three years prior to starting their course do not pay fees but the policy relies on money from the Scottish Government resulting in the number of places for Scots being capped.

In November 2014 Mr Salmond said "the rocks would melt with the sun" before fees were introduced for Scots.

Ms Smith's new intervention comes after five Scottish university vice-principals warned that the current funding model is harming their institutions.

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In blog published today by Reform Scotland she has reiterated her plea for a discussion and says university principals feel let down by the existing arrangement.

“In 1978, when I started my degree in economics at Edinburgh University, I queued in Adam House in Edinburgh’s Chambers Street to obtain the necessary paperwork to allow me to access free higher education," said the MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, who is a former teacher.

“Of course it wasn’t free at all. The state was paying. Those were the days when there were far fewer universities and far fewer undergraduates, so the cost of higher education was not remotely equivalent to what it is today.

 “Throughout my time in Holyrood, I have consistently called for a cross-party, open and frank debate about the future of higher education funding. Far too many politicians have had their heads firmly in the sand for far too long, just hoping that the problem will go away.

 “Well, it won’t. Alex Salmond’s rocks are well and truly melting in the sun." 

She added: “University education provides a shared benefit. There is a benefit to the individual undertaking a university course through increased earning opportunities as well as intellectual enhancement, and there is the obvious benefit to the state from an economic perspective, most especially in terms of ensuring we have a highly skilled workforce. As such, it is perfectly reasonable to expect some sharing of the cost.  

“We should always be mindful of the question “what is education for?”. As we answer that we will not arrive at the current funding arrangements. If it means an independent commission, as some principals have suggested, then that is what must happen. It is too important to get it wrong.”

Chris Deerin, Director of Reform Scotland said: "Reform Scotland has long been warning that the current funding model for universities is unfair and unsustainable. We welcome this important intervention from Liz Smith and hope that other politicians begin to recognize the scale of the challenge. Scotland cannot afford to keep ignoring the problems facing our universities."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said previously: “Our resolute commitment to free tuition and our enhanced student support offering ensures that access to university remains based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay, ensuring that the opportunity of a university education is not denied to anyone, regardless of their background.”