Improved support urged as more than half of students report financial hardship
A student union leader has declared “something is deeply wrong” after Government research revealed more than half of students in Scotland are facing financial difficulty.
The Scottish Government-commissioned study covering student finance and wellbeing in 2023/24 found between half and two-thirds of students reported experiencing financial hardship over the academic year.
Between a quarter and a half of students reporting financial difficulties had skipped meals, the study said, and further education students and those from under-represented groups were more likely to have done without.
A total of 2,429 students were surveyed from 16 Scottish colleges and 16 universities.
Sai Shraddha S Viswanathan, president of the National Union of Students Scotland, called for greater financial support for students along with measures to bring housing and travel costs down.
“This study shows that students are struggling in a system stacked against them,” she said. “It demonstrates clearly that the level of financial support available to students is inadequate to cover the cost of living.
“This is particularly true for college students and students from under-represented backgrounds who on average are more than £4,000 short of what they need to survive.
“This is why it was extremely worrying and disheartening to see no uplift in student support announced in the Scottish Government’s draft Budget last week, with students instead seeing an unjustifiable 3.2% real-terms cut.
“Rent is too high. Public transport is unaffordable. A majority of full-time students are having to juggle work on top of their studies and are still struggling.
“When students are using foodbanks at rates more than double or triple the general population, something is deeply wrong.
“Student respondents in this research called for greater financial support without added debt, for help with the cost of housing, for free bus travel for all students.
“The Government must start listening.”
Higher and further education minister Graeme Dey said: “The Scottish Government commissioned this study to help inform future policy development in a range of areas, including student
finance and wellbeing.
“While this research was under way we have already made significant progress, launching the student mental health action plan and increasing support for higher education students, meaning the maximum support available to students from the lowest income households is the highest it has ever been at £11,400.
“Along with our firm commitment to free tuition, this is ensuring access to colleges and universities in Scotland remains based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay.
“That is why we are seeing a record number of young Scottish students being accepted to our universities, including from our most deprived communities, and why Scotland has the lowest student debt levels in the UK, almost three times lower than in England.”
