Student Debt

Your talents, your education

NUS Scotland recently published a document which showed ‘More than two thirds of students are in debt. Over half have expensive commercial loans. 70% work more hours than they should.’

With this the Liberal Democrats with the support of Liberal Youth Scotland feel that students need real financial support.

“The Scottish Liberal Democrats have argued consistently for the provision of financial support to students from the poorest backgrounds. We want people to access education based on their ability to learn NOT their ability to pay.”

The SNP Government has repeatedly let down students in Scotland. During the election they promised they would ‘dump student debt’ and replace loans with grants but instead they abandoned these promises without even bringing proposals to Parliament.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning in November 2006:

“Only an SNP Government will abolish the student loans system and replace with a fairer system of student grants and will write off the outstanding student loans debt….”

BUT then in March 2008 on ‘Politics Now’ when questioned ‘are you going to remove student debt?’ her reply was: “We never promised to write it off.”

Does the SNP expect us to forget that ‘dump the debt’ was on every one of their leaflets, badges and postcards to students?

A Solution from the Scottish Liberal Democrats – the Minimum Income Guarantee

We believe that tackling student financial hardship would best be done through the creation of a Minimum Income Guarantee of £7,000 a year to provide students with the adequate means to support themselves through studying. This would give reassurance to all students that they CAN afford higher education. NUS Scotland are also calling for a minimum income guarantee of £7,000 a year.

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