Sophie Rose Jenkins, a former student of comparative literature and classical studies at St Andrews University, has decided not to return to the university this academic year due to her experiences of classism on campus. In a post on LinkedIn, Jenkins detailed how working-class students often feel ashamed of their home lives at university. While she acknowledged the privilege of accessing higher education, she also pointed out the hidden privilege of having unobstructed access to studying for a degree, highlighting the unaddressed gap between these two forms of privilege. Her post resonated with many others, sparking conversations about class differences on campus. The funding model of Scottish universities, which often face financial challenges, has contributed to growing tensions at St Andrews. Scottish students, who study for free, make up about 30% of the student body, with their numbers capped by the Scottish government. Maintenance loans and bursaries cover basic costs, but students from lower-income families often have less disposable income compared to their wealthier counterparts, including international students who pay much higher fees. St Andrews, ranked second in the Guardian’s 2026 university league table, accepts a high percentage of privately educated students. The university's medieval town, with its cobbled streets, wind-swept beach, and grand stone buildings, has long been favored by the British aristocracy, including Prince William and the Princess of Wales. The recent influx of wealthy US students has altered the campus dynamic, with Americans accounting for around a fifth of undergraduates at St Andrews, the highest proportion in the UK. Each American student pays £33,250 for this academic year, more than three times what British students pay. One Scottish fresher on a scholarship to study classics mentioned that her parents were worried about her coming to St Andrews, as they were concerned about her being left out. She noted that most of the people she met were international students, and some might be somewhat ignorant of the cost of things. Students have also observed the blending of fraternity and sorority culture with the upper-class experience of British university life. Regular black-tie dinners and balls are now rivaled by fashion shows and exclusive societies. A short walk from the student union bar, an interior design shop advertises luxury bed linen for students, while a popular coffee shop sells designer clothes and candles alongside speciality matchas. St Andrews stated it had reached out to Jenkins to better understand her experience, but she decided not to engage for now. The university emphasized it had a robust system for reporting complaints and noted that only a handful of complaints had been made in the last five years. Vice-principal Niall Scott acknowledged that some students arrive with immature, offensive, and classist views but stated that these attitudes typically do not leave with them. He argued that the issue was not specific to St Andrews but a societal one, with classism beginning in the home or at school. He emphasized the role of universities in challenging these attitudes by bringing together people from different backgrounds. The debate around classism at Scottish universities is not new. In 2024, Edinburgh University provided guidance to students on how to treat one another after rising claims of discrimination and classism, advising them not to be snobs. At St Andrews, some students noted that the issue of classism was not only linked to the rise in American students but also to broader attitudes. A science student mentioned that there was an idea that working-class students could not speak about issues happening elsewhere in the world because they were not as well-traveled. A Danish student, Rasmus, expressed bewilderment at the social dynamics at the university, noting it took him two weeks to meet a Scottish person, as they were surrounded by people who could afford international tuition fees.