General Question · S3O-07784 · Session 3
Whether it remains satisfied that maintenance loans available to full-time higher education students in Scotland under the non-means tested…
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains satisfied that maintenance loans available to full-time higher education students in Scotland under the non-means tested support system remain at the level of £890 per year while in England all students studying away from home can access more than £3,000 of non-means tested maintenance loans.
The answer
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ORAL ANSWER
10 September 2009
Index Heading: Education and Lifelong Learning
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains satisfied that maintenance loans available to full-time higher education students in Scotland under the non-means tested support system remain at the level of £890 per year while in England all students studying away from home can access more than £3,000 of non-means tested maintenance loans.
(S3O-07784)
Ms Fiona Hyslop > MSP:
Unlike in England, students in Scotland do not have to pay tuition fees. As a result, English students have to pay an additional £3,000 each year and leave with greater debt than Scottish students and that is despite generally studying for a year less. Student loan debt figures demonstrate this “ in 2009 the average student debt figure for Scotland was £5,487, compared with £10,287 in England.
Our consultation Supporting a Smarter Scotland closed on 30 April 2009. The paper outlined a number of options as to how student support could be improved, utilising the £30m that has been made available through the Spending Review for higher
ORAL ANSWER
10 September 2009
Index Heading: Education and Lifelong Learning
Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains satisfied that maintenance loans available to full-time higher education students in Scotland under the non-means tested support system remain at the level of £890 per year while in England all students studying away from home can access more than £3,000 of non-means tested maintenance loans.
(S3O-07784)
Ms Fiona Hyslop > MSP:
Unlike in England, students in Scotland do not have to pay tuition fees. As a result, English students have to pay an additional £3,000 each year and leave with greater debt than Scottish students and that is despite generally studying for a year less. Student loan debt figures demonstrate this “ in 2009 the average student debt figure for Scotland was £5,487, compared with £10,287 in England.
Our consultation Supporting a Smarter Scotland closed on 30 April 2009. The paper outlined a number of options as to how student support could be improved, utilising the £30m that has been made available through the Spending Review for higher
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S3O-07784 by reference.