- Student leaders and the Scottish Government discuss potential Scottish solutions to funding students and universities in the future
- Student support integral to any future reform of higher education
The NUS Scotland Student Summit brought together student representatives to discuss with the Cabinet Secretary the current and future challenges facing students in Scotland.
The Student Summit discussed the extreme pressure on the student support system in Scotland and how the Scottish higher education sector can best cope in the forthcoming climate of spending cuts and with any further spending gaps brought by increased top-up fees elsewhere in the UK.
With the maximum student support level still far below the poverty line, and with the economic downturn hitting part-time and summer jobs and parental contributions, levels of financial hardship for students have increased hugely.
Following the NUS Scotland Student Summit, Liam Burns, President of NUS Scotland, said:
"In the first of a number of meetings with students, Mike Russell has made an important commitment to ensure student support is included in discussions and doesn't become the poor relation of how we fund universities.
"There's a good story to be told in terms of Scotland's record on student debt however we know students are dropping out because they don't have money to live on while they're studying.
"That's why today's agreement with the Cabinet Secretary to make student support integral to any future reform of higher education is critically important.
"Yes, we know that public funding is in jeopardy and there is a possibility of increases in top-up fees in the rest of the UK.
"However, whereas sector funding may be a problem in the future, student support is a problem here and now for thousands of students in Scotland and has been for many years.
"With the Scottish Parliamentary elections coming up, politicians will need to be clear about what they have to offer Scottish students.
"We look forward to working over the coming months to get the best deal for students and institutions in Scotland."