University Principal: Graduate contribution is fair way of dealing with higher education funding gap

Professor Pete Downes, Principal of Dundee University, has said that higher education will need more money than the next Scottish Government can afford and that a graduate contribution would be a fair solution.

Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative Education Spokesperson, said:

"This is a very welcome intervention from another expert in the field. It is yet another warning that there is a large and serious funding gap that, so far, only the Scottish Conservatives have faced up to.

"Regardless of what the other parties are trying to make voters believe, the funding gap facing higher education in Scotland is not bridgeable unless a graduate contribution is introduced. Their figures are unbelievable and would lead to a huge black hole in higher education funding.

"In these situations we need honesty and the challenge to other parties is to tell us how many students would lose a place at university because of their plans. That is the cut we are fighting against, as figures we produced last weekend showed the number could be as high as 13,000.

"The Scottish Conservatives would do this as we think it is only right that those graduates who can afford to pay their fair share do so, rather than burden other taxpayers with the responsibility of paying for it. This will make university funding more sustainable and progressive. It will enable us to introduce a system of enhanced bursary support for those students most in need.

"Also, statistics released from the ONS this week back up the existing evidence which shows that those who have gained a university degree are more likely to earn a higher yearly salary as a result of holding that qualification.

"If we want to continue to maintain our international excellence in academic teaching and research, to offer support to the poorest students and to widen access to our universities, it is imperative that we do this."

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