Student bursary cash cut in half

A COLLEGE has cut the final instalment of students' bursaries by half, saying it has "exhausted" its cash supply.

More than 3,000 students at James Watt College in Greenock will find just 168 in their bank accounts next month. They were promised 336.

The college last night blamed the lack of cash on record numbers applying for places and low drop-out rates. But critics said it was unacceptable to leave some of Scotland's poorest students out of pocket with two weeks' notice.

Francis McGeachan, the college's assistant principal, claimed others had also cut bursaries throughout the year by 10 per cent.

The National Union of Students in Scotland slammed the move, saying the discretionary power colleges have over support funding must end.

Liam Burns, NUS Scotland president, said: "To leave some of our poorest students hundreds of pounds out of pocket with two weeks' notice is absolutely unacceptable.

"People would not get away with doing this in the university sector and so there is no excuse for it to happen to the poorest college students."

Mr McGeachan said: "There has been a national cut in bursary funding from the Funding Council and this year we have had a higher number of students than ever before due to the economic downturn.

"More people are learning and coming to colleges and that puts more pressure on our bursary funds."

In April, after the college received an additional 800,000 in February for bursaries, it had looked as though it might be able to meet its bursary commitments, Mr McGeachan said.

"But increases in the number of students attending, attaining and staying with the college has meant that we have had to look at a different approach."