This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Better support for young and disabled students
17/01/2005
Thousands more young students will be eligible for
maximum bursaries and an allowance scheme for disabled
students is to be extended to include all postgraduate
study, under plans announced today.
Student support changes for 2005/06 mean that the
maximum Young Students Bursary (YSB) will go up from £2,150
to £2,395. This is accompanied by a sharp increase in the
family income ceiling determining eligibility for a maximum
bursary - from £10,740 to £17,500. The number of eligible
students is set to increase by around 8,000 as a
result.
The Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) scheme - currently
available mainly for undergraduate and HNC/HND courses -
will be extended to all those undertaking full and
part-time postgraduate study.
Meeting students at Aberdeen University, Lifelong
Learning Minister Jim Wallace said:
"We want to support learners from all backgrounds to
participate in higher education, and to widen access. These
changes will benefit those who most need it - low income
families and students with disabilities who face extra
barriers to success.
"The Young Students Bursary has already benefited more
than 30,000 young people since its introduction four years
ago. Now we are providing more generous financial support
and increasing eligibility. Bursaries reduce the amount of
loan which students need to take out, so these measures
reduce the fear of debt and help less well-off families the
most.
"I also recognise the important role of the Disabled
Students Allowance in helping disabled students compete on
a level playing field. The extension of the scheme
addresses a gap in provision and should encourage greater
progress by disabled students to postgraduate study."
Young Students Bursary
YSB was introduced in 2001/02. Young Scottish students
studying full-time HE course in Scotland are entitled to
have part of their annual loan support replaced by a
bursary. Under the current arrangements, these bursaries
are available on a sliding scale - with the maximum for
students whose family income is under £10,740 per year and
no bursary available for those whose family income is more
than £28,000.
As well as the changes to the maximum bursary amount and
lowest income threshold, the maximum income threshold will
also increase to £31,000.
The total receiving a maximum bursary therefore rises
from around 12,000 to 20,000; the overall total receiving
some bursary increases from around 33,000 to 36,000.
Disabled Students Allowance
DSA is available to those HE students who incur more
costs whilst undertaking their course because of their
disability. There are three types of support available - a
basic allowance for general expenditure (up to £1,525);
non-medical personal help (up to £11,500); and large items
of equipment (up to £4,565).
At present, DSA is available for undergraduate and
HNC/HND courses, and for a small number of postgraduates
who are receiving support under the Postgraduate Students
Allowances Scheme. The extension of DSA to all full-time
and part-time self-funded postgraduate students closes a
gap in provision and brings Scotland into line with the
position in England and Wales. It is estimated that 140
extra postgraduates will benefit.
The overall cost of the student support changes is
estimated at £15m. This is new funding provided towards
meeting Partnership Agreement commitments, in particular
the commitment that 'we will review the eligibility
criteria for student bursaries with a view to increasing
the family income ceiling and review the maximum amount
available.'