Students deserve better support

16th September 2016

Students deserve better support.

We support free tuition in Scotland, but the SNP has slashed bursaries and grants – and that means students increasingly have to turn to loans and track up more debt. 

Lower bursaries

The average student bursary is £400 less than when the SNP came to power.
In 2006-07 the average was £1,760 compared with £1,330 in 2015-16.

Higher loans

In turn the average loan has increased by nearly £3,000.

In 2006-07 the average loan paid per student for living costs in that academic year was £2,310, but by 2015-16 that figure has risen to £5,290.

Students deserve better support

Labour committed to reversing the SNP’s cuts at the last Scottish election. We would also lift the threshold that people start paying back their student loan to £21,000 – helping graduates on low incomes.

The SNP said that education was the top priority – but these cuts are saddling students with unfair levels of debt.