University leaders have urged the Scottish Government to fill a £90m "black hole" left by EU funding.

EU students currently have their tuition fees paid for, however Liam McCabe, president of the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland, has warned of a shortfall in funding if it is removed post-Brexit.

Along with Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, Mr McCabe stressed the importance of the funding in the sector.

Giving evidence to the Education Committee at Holyrood on Wednesday, Mr McCabe told MSPs: "We've all collectively and separately made overtures to the Government over what I think is in the region of £90m worth of funding for the education sector.

"That's currently going into the sector, whether it's being funnelled through the avenue of EU students tuition, it's still making its way into the sector full stop.

"If that was to be stopped, it would create a black hole and there are going to be a multitude of black holes created in the event of a no-deal Brexit."

Mr McCabe believes the Scottish Government has the ability to counter the shortfall, and it should do so.

He told the committee: "We should try and make sure that there is not another black hole created, and that's entirely within our power to do."

Mr Sim told the committee he was shocked "it was even being discussed" due to the importance of the funding for higher education.

Responding to a question from Labour MSP Iain Gray about any assurances from the Scottish Government over the continuation of the funding, Mr Sim said: "There's a political decision to be made, and I don't think it's been made yet, whether we move forward with the current system or look at alternatives.

"But if you do look at alternatives, I think it's absolutely essential that you keep the money that's currently committed to EU students in the system.

"There's so many important things that we can do for Scotland that, to my mind, it's incredible that we're even talking about the possibility of this money being taken away from an under-funded education sector.

"We're arguing strongly that the Scottish Government should make an absolute commitment that money will stay in the sector because there are so many important things we can do for Scotland with it."