What the average level of debt on completion of a university degree has been of students supported by the (a) Students Awards Agency Scotla…

Scottish domiciled higher education students will have their application for student support, including the student loan, assessed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Information on individual students' loan eligibility is then passed to the Student Loans Company (SLC) which provides the appropriate level of loan and manages the individual students' accounts. Other aspects of the student support package are provided by SAAS and are not repayable unless an overpayment has occurred.Prior to 1999 eligibility for student loans was assessed by individual colleges and universities. Information on the loans taken out by students who started courses before that date will, therefore, be identified by SLC on the basis of their place of study and not their place of residence. The average level of debt will also be dependent upon a number of variable factors such as the fact that students do not always borrow the maximum amount available to them, sub-degree courses at HNC/HND level will attract student loan funding and that degree courses will be completed at different times of the year. Any average would be subject to frequent change dependent upon each individual student's behaviour and length of study at higher education level. To provide the information requested would, therefore, be time consuming and incur a disproportionate cost.