The public debate over higher education policy designed to help Scotland’s poorest students has once again raised its head. New figures reveal that bursary support for students has dropped by £40 million since the SNP came to power, with local Tory candidate Jamie Greene saying that "this was further proof that the SNP policy on higher education simply isn’t working for Scotland’s poorest."
The latest statistics come as some education experts have blasted the SNP over its free tuition policy, which they say has "embedded social inequality". A Universities UK report published last week has shown students from poorer backgrounds in Scotland are half as likely to get to university than those in the rest of Britain.
Figures released last week show that when the SNP came to power in 2007, bursary support was £104 million but a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives to SAAS has confirmed that, next year, it is forecast to be only £60 million.
Local Conservative Mr Greene said in recent press reports that the Conservative party has repeatedly suggested introducing a form of graduate contribution, which would see students pay back some money once they earned a reasonably salary.
Speaking this week he added to the debate further by saying that "This would ensure universities were sufficiently funded, and allow more support to go to those from poorer backgrounds who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford higher education. The SNP claims its policy on no tuition fees helps those from the poorest backgrounds. Not only are those people from the most deprived areas not getting their foot through the door, but their bursary support has fallen too. The SNP is slashing college places and has cut bursaries – and now the universal free tuition policy designed to counter those things has been shown not to work.
So once again, I invite our local MSP to face the facts on this matter and justify why he still supports a system which sounds great as a vote winning headline, but in reality is not helping North Ayrshire and Arran’s poorest attain a degree."