Scotland will offer financial support to students who choose to study elsewhere in the European Union for the first time under a new pilot program, The Scotsman reported. The government will provide loans of up to £5,500 (about $8,884) and scholarships of up to £1,750 (about $2,827) to about 250 students in 2014-15. As Michael Russell, the education secretary, said, “This will help encourage our young people who choose to study abroad and the pilot will help assess demand and allow us to roll out this support to all Scots studying in Europe.”

Scotland has a tradition of providing free higher education to its citizens.