Bursary support for students has dropped by £40 million since the SNP came to power, new figures have revealed.
It comes as experts have blasted the SNP over its free tuition policy, which they say has “embedded social inequality”.
And a Universities UK report published today has shown students from poorer backgrounds in Scotland are half as likely to get to university than those in the rest of Britain.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson challenged Nicola Sturgeon on the issue at First Minister’s Questions today.
When the SNP came to power in 2007, bursary support was £104 million.
But a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives to SAAS has confirmed that, next year, it is forecast to be only £60 million.
The party have repeatedly suggested introducing a form of graduate contribution, which would see students pay back some money once they earned a reasonably salary.
This would ensure universities were sufficiently funded, and allow more support to go to those from poorer backgrounds who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford higher education.
But today, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP would stick with its free tuition plan, despite the warning from the Edinburgh University experts.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:
“The SNP claims its policy on no tuition fees helps those from the poorest backgrounds.
“Now that experts have dismissed this, she has to face up to the facts.
“Not only are those people from the most deprived areas not getting their foot through the door, but their bursary support has fallen too.
“How can she explain to them that when the SNP came to power there was more than £104 million in the pot, but next year it will have plummeted to just £60 million?
“The SNP is slashing college places and has cut bursaries – and now the universal free tuition policy designed to counter those things has been shown not to work.
“The First Minister can dismiss me all she likes – but she cannot afford to dismiss respected education experts too.”