When Britain decided last December to impose a steep increase in university tuition, Scotland, proud and independent as usual, flatly rejected the idea. Instead, it held firm to its long tradition of virtually free university education, reports the New York Times. For Scots, that is. Government officials here soon decided that they were at liberty to charge more to students from the rest of Britain, quite a bit more. Starting next September, those students are to pay the same tuition as the new rates going into effect in England, up to $14,000 a year…