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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Cash boost for part-time students | Cash boost for part-time students |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Part-time students are to receive extra financial help to attend university or further education colleges in Scotland. | |
| Full-time students currently pay a fee of about £2,000 after they graduate, although that is due to be abolished. | Full-time students currently pay a fee of about £2,000 after they graduate, although that is due to be abolished. |
| Part-time students, however, have to pay fees of between £500 and £2,000 up front each year. | |
| Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop has outlined a grant of up to £500 a year if students earn less than £18,000, on top of £200 a year already available. | |
| More than 20,000 students are expected to benefit from the scheme. | |
| The announcement today is the next step towards moving away from loans to grants Fiona HyslopEducation Secretary | |
| It covers students studying for degrees at university or taking Higher National Diplomas or Certificates at further education colleges. | |
| Most part-time students are classed as "mature" with responsibilities including mortgages and children. | Most part-time students are classed as "mature" with responsibilities including mortgages and children. |
| Many work full-time but are on low incomes and often have childcare and transport costs. | Many work full-time but are on low incomes and often have childcare and transport costs. |
| Ms Hyslop outlined the financial help while in Paisley to mark the merger of the town's university and Bell College. It will become the University of the West of Scotland. | |
| She said: "We have already stated our intention, subject to parliamentary approval, to abolish the graduate endowment fee. | |
| "The announcement today is the next step towards moving away from loans to grants and will be a major boost for part-time students where fee costs can be a particular barrier." | |
| The £500 grant will be available from next autumn. | |
| Ministers are also bringing in a national hardship fund worth £1m to replace the £500 loans for extra student expenses, which they plans to abolish. |