Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 31 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for students impacted by the rising cost of living.
The Scottish Government fully appreciates that many students are facing higher energy bills and increased financial hardship as a consequence of the current cost of living crisis.
Over £37 million of hardship funding has been provided to colleges and universities by the Scottish Government since June 2021. These funds are available for colleges and universities to use up until 31 July 2022.
Students in further or higher education currently experiencing financial hardship should apply to their college or university for support from Discretionary Funds. I wrote to college and university principals last month asking them to continue to prioritise the allocation of hardship funds to those students most in need, and to take account of the impact of rising energy bills.
The Scottish Government has also recently announced a £350 uplift to the undergraduate student loan package from 2022-23. This represents the first step in delivering our manifesto commitment to provide student support equivalent to the living wage over the next three years. This increase ensures that the most disadvantaged students in higher education will receive bursary and loan support of up to £8,100.