17 May 2019

The maximum amount that the poorest students in higher education can receive from the Young Students’ Bursary has fallen by almost £1,000 in real terms under the SNP, Scottish Labour can reveal.

Students had been able to receive up to £2,640 through the bursary in 2012-13 – however this was cut in April 2013.

If the SNP had not cut the Young Students’ Bursary, and had ensured it had kept pace with the cost of living, then the scheme should be worth a maximum of £2,973 per person in this financial year.

However, the maximum funds available to the poorest students today is just £2,000 - a cut of £973 in real terms.

Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson, Iain Gray MSP, said:

“The SNP has slashed the amount of financial help available to our poorest students in higher education.

“Young people face so many barriers, beyond tuition fees, to study. Cuts to bursaries make things harder.

“Labour will transform the opportunities for young people in government at Holyrood and Westminster.

“Labour will reform the country’s student support system, beginning by implementing a Minimum Student Income for higher and further education students, as recommended by the Student Support Review.

“Labour will also introduce a £10 per hour real living wage, cap the cost of rip off rents and extend free bus travel to those aged under 25.”



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