Scottish Labour is calling for a Scotland specific financial support package for students and universities to help them through the covid-19 pandemic.

The UK government has now announced a package of support measures, but Universities Scotland says that it is unlikely to deliver financial aid on the scale needed.

Scottish Labour has now warned that there must be a joint effort from both the UK and Scottish governments to mitigate the loss of at least £78 million from our universities this year, and losses of around £500 million in 2020/21.

Iain Gray, Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson, said :

“Scotland’s universities are funded differently than those in the rest of the UK, and so there must be a support package tailored to work for them.

“The higher education sector is especially vulnerable during the covid-19 pandemic because of the reliance on international student fee income, so any support must recognise that.

“There needs to be a joined up approach to aiding universities with responses from both the Scottish and UK governments.

“Universities in Scotland have been, and will continue to be, a vital part of the response to fight covid-19 and protect our NHS.

“A bespoke support package must be immediately delivered to keep universities above water.”