Scots south of border to get grants

Low-income Scottish students studying elsewhere in the United Kingdom are to win grants of up to £510 from the Scottish Executive in the coming academic year.

A statement from the Scottish Executive said the means-tested bursary for Scots on full-time courses south of the border would bring their spending power in line with that of Scottish students in Scotland.

Support for all full-time higher education students would rise in line with inflation for the coming academic year.

The National Union of Students Scotland praised the move. It said that in the wake of grants and the abolition of fees for students in Scotland, many had chosen to stay at home for financial reasons rather than academic ones. The union said the new award went some way towards giving students a real choice, although it said tuition fees elsewhere in the UK remained a barrier for some.

• Northern Ireland students' unions are calling on the province's ministers to fight to restore grants and benefit entitlements.