Political Comparison Made Easy

QUESTION: Please state the party policy for the heading "Further and Higher Education". In particular, who should pay for a student's education? How much money would you invest in Scottish a) colleges and b) universities in the next two years?

Liz Smith [MSP, Scottish Conservative spokeswoman for education, candidate for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire] said: "Scottish Conservatives reject up-front fees, and we reject a pure graduate tax. We accept there is going to have to be a graduate contribution, repayable from future earnings and at an affordable rate. This is to maintain competitiveness and provide more bursary support than is currently available. We will set out further costed details of this proposal in due course.

"A progressive graduate contribution, repayable once a salary reaches a certain threshold at an affordable rate, is the only way of bridging the massive funding gap we will be faced with. As Iain McMillan of CBI Scotland says, both Labour and the SNP appear to be working on the figure of £93m instead of the £200m Universities Scotland believes will need to be found.

"Both the SNP and Scottish Labour are avoiding the tough decisions on higher education funding. These are two political parties willing to say anything to divert attention away from the real issues, as we approach the election. Students deserve better than that. Only the Scottish Conservatives will provide our students, colleges and universities with a sustainable future."

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Retrieved on 16/03/11 (2:36pm) from: Email Submission

QUESTION: Please state the party policy for the heading "Further and Higher Education". In particular, who should pay for a student's education? How much money would you invest in Scottish a) colleges and b) universities in the next two years?

Higher education

In Scotland, Liberal Democrat ministers in coalition government delivered record levels of funding for our universities and colleges. Thanks to the Liberal Democrats, the up-front tuition fees that the Labour Party introduced were abolished. In opposition, we voted with the current Government party to ease further graduate debt by ending the graduate endowment.

We fought hard for these gains for students and we will fight to protect them. We will not bring back tuition fees for Scottish students. We want to open up opportunities, not close them down. We believe that it is possible to keep our universities competitive with England without increasing the financial burden on students through fees or a graduate contribution. This can only be achieved, however, if the other parties in the Scottish Parliament share our vision and commitment. We will be working hard to build a Scottish solution for the way ahead that secures free education for the next parliament.

Colleges

During the course of the recent Scottish budget, Liberal Democrats worked very closely with NUS Scotland to secure more support for students. The changes we negotiated from the Scottish Government will give thousands of students access to bursary support and bring millions of pounds of additional investment to our colleges. For the future, our main objective should be to create a student support system which is simple, equitable and fair. It must meet the increasingly varied needs of a diverse student body. And we must make the money we have work harder for students. In the new Parliament Liberal Democrats will be calling for a new, student-led review of student support provision in Scotland. It should involve students from all backgrounds, types of study and levels of study.

Liberal Democrats know that partnership working between universities, colleges, students, businesses and government is a necessity now and beyond the election, in order to guarantee a sustainable solution for the long term, keep Scotland globally competitive and give every individual their fair chance.

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Retrieved on 18/03/11 (5:49pm) from: Email Submission

QUESTION: Please state the party policy for the heading "Further and Higher Education". In particular, who should pay for a student's education? How much money would you invest in Scottish a) colleges and b) universities in the next two years?

Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education [candidate for Argyll and Bute]:

Access to university must be based on ability to learn and not ability to pay. In opposition and in government the SNP has stood steadfast against charging students. That's why we abolished the backdoor tuition fees introduced by Labour and the Liberals restoring free education to Scotland. And, it's why we will not now introduce tuition fees – upfront or backdoor – if re-elected.

Scottish universities are amongst the best in the world and we want them to remain competitive. So we will fill any funding gap that opens up north and south of the border. We've agreed with the universities themselves how much is needed – £155m extra by 2014/15 – and we will ensure they receive it. This will guarantee Scotland's universities remain world-class and can continue to be so, without any reduction in the number of people able to take up their life-changing opportunities.

Colleges and universities must be accessible as well as excellent – so we'll pay for 50,000 college bursaries and work towards the NUS target of a £7,000 entitlement for university students. We've already given students the biggest increase in living cost support for two decades. We're open to good ideas and having protected the EMA will look closely at the NUS proposed EMA90 scheme. Scotland's colleges will also be helped to thrive by playing their part in delivering the 100,000 apprenticeships we plan for the next four years.

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Retrieved on 18/03/11 (11:46am) from: Email Submission

QUESTION: Please state the party policy for the heading "Further and Higher Education". In particular, who should pay for a student's education? How much money would you invest in Scottish a) colleges and b) universities in the next two years?

The Scottish Greens are committed to keeping tuition free, and, unlike the other parties at Holyrood, our manifesto will set out how we would increase revenue progressively to cover the cost and protect other public services. Students already make a graduate contribution which increases the more they get paid - it's called income tax. Education is also a social good - if higher education places become exclusively for those who are able to pay, we will all lose out.

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Retrieved on 18/03/11 (1:17pm) from: Email Submission

QUESTION: Please state the party policy for the heading "Further and Higher Education". In particular, who should pay for a student's education? How much money would you invest in Scottish a) colleges and b) universities in the next two years?

Scottish Labour Leader Iain Gray [candidate for East Lothian] said:

"Education is the single most important lever in transforming people's lives. From our youngest children learning to read, to research scientists on the cutting edge of new discoveries, education drives our futures and also Scotland's ability to create wealth and opportunity.

"I was the first person in family to go to university and I will not impose additional burdens on young people. Youth unemployment is unacceptably high and we have not emerged from the recession.

"That is why if I am first minister, a Labour government will not introduce any up-front fees or graduate contribution for access to higher education in the lifetime of the next Parliament. There will be no price tag on education.

"Bringing in a graduate contribution would not resolve the present financial difficulties of the universities which are the responsibility of the current SNP government.

"Experts figures show that the gap is significantly less than some had predicted and can and will be met.

"There needs to be a root and branch examination of the entire system of further and higher education. We need to fully examine the transition between school and university, how examinations can be improved and the type of courses our education system provides.

"We also need to see how the sector can be made more efficient and more responsive and how we can make the funding model can be improved to get a better fit with demand and need for graduates.

"It's clearly time to see how the student experience can be improved and how we can we improve access to higher education.

"If I am elected First Minister I will order that review immediately and ensure that our higher education sector gets the support it needs."

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Retrieved on 21/03/11 (3:35pm) from: Email Submission