Student leaders demand support improvement

15 February 2018, 15:08 | Updated: 15 February 2018, 15:09

Student leaders have called on Scotland's political party leaders to use the budget process to improve support.

Representatives from 29 Scottish universities and colleges have written to party leaders calling for change.

They have set out a series of measures they say the Budget could take to improve the support available to students.

They include investment in bursary support for higher and further education.

A lifting of the graduate repayment threshold, ring-fenced funding for counselling and mental health support is also demanded at every college and university.

Luke Humberstone, president of NUS Scotland, said: "The student support system is broken.

"The poorest students in higher education are being saddled with the most debt.

"Meanwhile, in further education there is no guarantee that students will have money to cover living costs."

The letter says just getting someone through the door is not enough and says students need to remain and succeed in education once they get there.

Mr Humberstone says the demand for reform shown in the letter cannot be ignored.

He added: "I'd urge all of our party leaders to back this campaign, and commit to improving the support that our students receive."