Hardship payments 'not enough'

Scottish university student support staff are dismayed by a new hardship scheme which they believe raises unrealistic expectations and burdens administrators, writes Olga Wojtas.

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland has told new entrants eligible for a student loan that they can also apply for a discretionary hardship loan of up to Pounds 250.

Lin McLean, student finance officer at Strathclyde University, said: "The extra hardship loan will place an additional administrative burden on universities. Very few students will be able to benefit from the amount available."

Universities with several thousand entrants will be able to help only a few hundred, and will have to assess and means-test the bids.