19 March 2019

Access to education should be based on work ethic and ability  – not the ability to pay. That’s why the Last Labour-led Scottish government abolished tuition fees.

But students need better financial support when they get onto university. Under the SNP grants and bursaries have been slashed.

We’d deliver a new social contract for students – including the following:

A Minimum Student Income

SCOTTISH LABOUR: @IainGrayMSP says students have been sold a “big lie” on promises to abolish student debt. Tells Conference that Labour would assure university and college students that they could access to minimum student income equivalent to the real living wage. #scotlab19

— Newsdirect (@newsdirect) March 9, 2019

This would be tied to the Scottish government’s living wage and worth around £8,100 per year. This would give students the funding they need to live while studying.

Rebalancing the system towards bursaries, not loans

Students and graduates still owe debt, Nicola Sturgeon owes them an apology. #FMQs pic.twitter.com/F1RJlgP3uX

— Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) November 1, 2018

The SNP promised to write off student debt, but instead it has soared. That’s because students are forced to take out cost of living loans because grants and bursaries have been cut.

Reforming college support

New figures released today show that Scotland’s colleges have more than 120,000 fewer students under the SNP in the last decade.

Labour will properly fund education and put colleges at the heart of our long-term economic plan. @IainGrayMSP pic.twitter.com/U5snkXkDNJ

— Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) January 29, 2019

Students in further education have been left behind under the SNP with 120,000 fewer student sin the last decade.

Labour would deliver parity in financial support to university and college students.

Like our fair deal for students? Join our movement for the many here.