Nicola Sturgeon has said she will not consider introducing tuition fees for Scottish students as a way of supporting the country's cash-strapped universities.
The higher education sector is facing a funding crisis as the number of international students arriving in the country - who pay fees of up to £30,000 per year - is expected to plummet as travel restrictions remain in place around the world.
Bosses at the prestigious University of Edinburgh said this week they were considering selling off property in the capital in an attempt to make ends meet.
At her daily media briefing, the First Minister was asked if she would consider the introduction of tuition fees for Scottish students as a way of plugging the funding gap.
"I'm not considering introducing fees for Scottish students," Sturgeon said. "I think my views on the importance of access to education based on your ability to learn - and not your ability to pay - is really important.
"As a principle it is one, that as we come out of the crisis, we will work hard to protect. But we are also working very closely with universities and will continue to do so.
"Universities are not alone in this predicament. So many areas of our economy and society are finding the impact of this virus extremely hard.
"We have already given some immediate additional funding to universities - a £75m increase for research to help and protect what they are doing right now.
"Of course, universities will be expected to use their own assets and to try and adapt, as all businesses generally will have to do get through this crisis."
The SNP leader continued: "Universities are critical to our success as a country - in terms of the provision of education, but also in world-leading research they punch above their weight."
She added the UK Government must also set-out further plans on how it planned to support the sector.
Universities previously warned they could lose more than £500 million between them next year due to the coronavirus crisis.
