An Ayrshire MSP has warned that only the SNP will maintain free tuition for Scottish students studying at university.
Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley MSP, Elena Whitham, said that “Labour simply cannot be trusted on tuition fees” after the UK Government increased tuition fees in England by £285 per year.
On Monday, UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced that fees will increase to £9,535 per year after they had been frozen since 2017-18.
Student Loans Company data shows that students in Scotland leave university with the lowest levels of debt in the UK and an average of £31,790 less debt than students in England.
Figures released earlier this year show that 1.8 million people in England and Wales are in at least £50,000 of student debt.
Ms Whitham said that record numbers of students from the most deprived areas in Scotland are going to university due to the SNP’s continued support for free tuition.
Commenting, Ms Whitham said: “Whether in Scotland, England or Wales, history has shown that under Labour governments, tuition fees go up – Labour simply cannot be trusted on tuition fees. This latest increase by the UK Government will burden a whole generation of students south of the border with even higher levels of debt.
“Throughout their time in office, even Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson didn’t go as further raising tuition fees – that Keir Starmer has done so after only months in Number 10 shows exactly where his priorities lie.
“Under the SNP, we have record numbers of Scottish students securing places at our universities, and recent figures showed a rise in students from our most disadvantaged communities.
“This progress has only been made possible because the SNP abolished Labour’s tuition fees when we came to office – and we will never let them be reimposed on students in Ayrshire.”
In a statement in the House of Commons announcing the rise in tuition fees in England, Ms Philipson said: “Higher education is part of what makes our country great. It enriches our culture, powers our economy and sustains intellectual traditions stretching back centuries.
“It is a beacon of opportunity – to students not just from this country, but from across the world – and a sector of which everyone in this House ought to be proud.
“When this Government took office in July, we found a university sector facing severe financial challenges.
“With tuition fees frozen for the last seven years, universities have suffered a significant real-terms decline in their income.
“We also found a regulator subject to political whim, unable to focus on the challenges our universities face. A succession of Conservative Ministers faced with tough decisions had, for year after year, ducked them time and again.”
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