The Lomond School in Scotland is set to start accepting Bitcoin (BTC) tuition payments from the Autumn semester of 2025, marking a significant milestone as the first school in the UK to implement such a payment option.
This move to incorporate Bitcoin is part of the school’s broader initiative to weave “sound money principles” from the Austrian School of Economics into its educational framework, aiming to “equip students for the unpredictable future.” The announcement elaborates:
“Bitcoin is accessible to anyone eager to learn — fostering a more democratic and inclusive environment, especially for individuals in developing countries who may not have access to conventional banking systems. Lomond regards Bitcoin as an ideal real-world example for studies in economics, computing, ethics, and innovation.”
The institution has no intention of accepting other cryptocurrencies for tuition and plans to convert the BTC to fiat currency immediately, as per the information shared. There may be plans for a Bitcoin treasury down the line, contingent on feedback from the Lomond community.
The announcement underscores a trend among institutions increasingly turning to Bitcoin as a safeguard against inflation amid global financial instability.
Value of the British pound (GBP) from 1209 to 2025. Source: Statista
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Bitcoin gradually integrates into the education sector
Several educational institutions are now incorporating Bitcoin into their curricula; some have also adopted a BTC treasury approach to shield their reserves from the eroding impact of inflation on purchasing power.
In 2022, the University of Cincinnati introduced crypto courses into its curriculum to provide students with insights on BTC and emerging Web3 technologies.
In 2023, Mi Primer Bitcoin, a Bitcoin education initiative, collaborated with El Salvador’s Ministry of Education to embed Bitcoin education within the school system.
A representation of Bitcoin’s hard supply cap illustrated through successive halving events. Source: River
In July 2024, the University of Wyoming launched the Bitcoin Research Institute aimed at conducting peer-reviewed academic research on the decentralized digital asset.
In February 2025, the University of Austin announced that its endowment fund had allocated $5 million towards BTC investments, managing approximately $200 million in assets.
Chun Lai, chief investment officer of the endowment fund, noted that they sought BTC exposure to leverage the potential financial benefits associated with the increasing institutional adoption of digital assets.
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