Student grants: media coverage 23 October – 1 November 2014

November 2, 2014

The past fortnight has seen the most extensive coverage of Scottish student grants in the past two years, with references to the issue in the annual report produced by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, new comparative data from the European Commission and publication of the Scottish student support statistics for 2013-14 providing figures for the first time on the full impact of the change.

The Scottish Government has been urged to revisit its position on grants by NUS Scotland, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Government lines reported in response concentrated on the protection of free tuition and increases in the combined value of loan plus grant, and did not directly acknowledge or defend the large reduction in grants which took effect from autumn 2013.

Although a number of broadsheet papers have run pieces on this issue, as far I can tell it has not been picked up by any of the broadcasters, tabloids or the main alternative Scottish news sites.

23 October:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/inside-track-change-is-needed-to-aid-disadvantaged-pupils.25659952

(on the report of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission)

24 October:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/agenda.25660135

(on European comparisons)

27 October

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/despite-rhetoric-students-fare-badly-on-grant-levels.2567276

(on both the above and picking up other figures from this site)

28 October

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/scottish-government-switches-student-support-spending-to-loans/2016647.article

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/28/scottish-student-borrowing-soars-record-levels