College student support

12th February 2012

Many more college students will be able to claim bursaries to support them during their studies, it has been announced today.

An extra £11.4 million funding for further education student support has been announced in the Scottish Parliament by Finance Secretary John Swinney at the final stage of the Budget Bill 2012-13.

A further £8 million will also be provided to allow colleges to do yet more to tackle youth unemployment.

Welcoming the announcement, Education Secretary Michael Russell said:"We are determined to ensure as many young people as possible are able to access the opportunities they need and enter the workforce. College is a vital route into employment, but many students need bursary support to be able to complete their course.

"That's why it will be welcome news in Scotland's student community and for our further education sector that we are repeating, for 2012-13, the top-up funding for student support provided in 2011-12, totalling an additional £11.4 million.

"Furthermore, an additional £8 million in 2012-13 will ensure colleges can play their part in tackling youth unemployment, helping our young people improve their employability and life chances.

"Today's news follows my commitment to maintain student numbers for the coming year, the announcement of a £15 million transformational fund to help colleges realise the benefits offered by our regionalisation plans and an additional £5 million to support employability initiatives through the college sector.

"I am also pleased to be working with the National Union of Students Scotland to examine how we might distribute more effectively the resources that we make available to fund financial support to college students. That will include examining the scope to remove some of the uncertainty that is currently associated with the system's discretionary nature.

"Against a backdrop of swingeing cuts made by the Westminster government, today's news underlines our commitment to colleges as a vital learning environment for Scotland's young people and our guarantee of a place in education or training for every 16-19-year-old through Opportunities for All."