Lib Dems reveal true extent of student hardship in Scotland

12.39.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 30th Aug 2009

Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Margaret Smith MSP has revealed that the number of students applying for hardship support in Scotland has reached a new high.

Information obtained by the Liberal Democrats under Freedom of Information laws show that in the 2008-09 academic year there were 14,386 applications for hardship funding across Scotland's universities. This is up from 13,283 in the 2007-08 academic year.

Mrs Smith has called on SNP Ministers to support the Liberal Democrats call for a minimum income guarantee of £7000 for Scottish students and to focus on the issue of student hardship.

Commenting, Mrs Smith said:

"To have 14,386 students across Scotland applying for hardship funding is seriously worrying. This number is more than the total student population at either St Andrews or Stirling University.

"Access to education should be about the ability to learn and not the ability to pay.

"We already know that one in three students are dropping out of further education due to money problems. These latest figures reveal the true level of student hardship in Scotland.

"They provide further evidence of why SNP Ministers should back Liberal Democrat calls for a minimum income guarantee for Scotland's students.

"There is already cross party support in the Parliament as well as from NUS Scotland for increasing grants for the poorest students, increasing the student loan available and tackling problems with the amounts available in childcare and hardship funds.

"It is time Ministers woke up to the reality of student hardship in Scotland. Students are struggling to find part time work, experiencing falling levels of family support and crippling rates of commercial debt. Growing numbers will find themselves having to drop out. That will be bad news for them and even worse news for the economic future of Scotland.”

Notes:

o The Liberal Democrats have led calls for action on student hardship with a Lib Dem business debate in March 2009 which saw a motion passed noting the SNP’s failure to support Scotland’s students and recognised the calls from various organisations for a £7,000 minimum income guarantee.

o All the opposition parties united to agree that the £30m proposed by the Scottish Government for student funding is not sufficient to achieve this Minimum Income Guarantee and that the Government should develop proposals that adequately address student hardship.