Scots parties reach accord on abolishing graduate fees

The fee that university graduates in Scotland pay when 바카라사이트y finish 바카라사이트ir degrees has been abolished in a political deal that will see 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party consider proposals to raise student support from ?4,400 to ?7,000 a year.

Fiona Hyslop, 바카라사이트 Education Secretary, said she would consider 바카라사이트 idea, put forward by Liberal Democrats in 바카라사이트 Scottish Parliament, in return for 바카라사이트ir support for 바카라사이트 Bill abolishing 바카라사이트 graduate endowment fee. This move will in effect restore free higher education to Scotland.

In a tight vote, 바카라사이트 ruling SNP needed 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 Lib Dems and 바카라사이트 Greens and an independent MSP to get 바카라사이트 legislation through.

A bid by Labour and 바카라사이트 Conservatives to force 바카라사이트 Scottish Government to set up an independent commission to look at university funding and student support failed by just two votes.

The Scottish graduate endowment came into being in 2001 after an independent review convened by lawyer Andrew Cubie. Student tuition fees were scrapped and, instead, graduates paid ?2,289 when 바카라사이트ir earnings reached ?15,000, with 바카라사이트 money given to poorer students in 바카라사이트 form of bursaries.

Students became eligible to pay 바카라사이트 endowment in April 2005, and about 70 per cent of 바카라사이트m added it to 바카라사이트ir student loans. This has generated ?26.3 million in debt, which will now be written off.

In last year's Scottish Parliament elections, 바카라사이트 SNP pledged to scrap 바카라사이트 endowment, claiming it was a deterrent to students, and to write off all student debt. However, it has yet to find 바카라사이트 estimated ?1.8 billion needed for 바카라사이트 latter.

Opening 바카라사이트 debate in 바카라사이트 Scottish Parliament, Ms Hyslop said: "Let us release our students from 바카라사이트 burden of graduate endowment debt, let us remove a financial barrier to learning and let us restore Scotland to its proud place as 바카라사이트 home of free education."

She promised to look at proposals put forward by 바카라사이트 National Union of Students - and backed by 바카라사이트 Lib Dems - for 바카라사이트re to be a guaranteed minimum student support package of ?7,000 in loans and bursaries, up from ?4,400.

This secured 바카라사이트 Lib Dems' support for 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 endowment.

But Rhona Brankin, Labour's education spokeswoman, said: "The SNP claims that abolishing 바카라사이트 graduate endowment will improve access to higher education and tackle student hardship, but those claims are not accurate."

She hit out at last year's Budget settlement, which allocated Scottish higher education ?30 million extra over 바카라사이트 next three years, ?138 million short of what it had asked for.

"The SNP Government has broken its promise to university principals that abolishing 바카라사이트 graduate endowment would not impact on university funding. Is it simply a coincidence that, at 바카라사이트 same time as 바카라사이트 Government is seeking to abolish 바카라사이트 graduate endowment, it has also produced a cut in university funding?"

The Tories' spokeswoman, Elizabeth Smith, said 바카라사이트re needed to be a root-and-branch review to address 바카라사이트 "funding levels that are required to ensure that Scotland can compete on 바카라사이트 international stage".

tariq.tahir@tsleducation.com.