BMA Scotland Welcomes Plans To Abolish Graduate Endowment Fees

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 09 Sep 2007 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

BMA Scotland had last friday welcomed plans to abolish the Graduate Endowment Fee, claiming that it will remove one of the financial barriers to higher education. However, the BMA said that any plans to abolish fees, should be supported by a wider review of higher education funding. The call came as the BMA responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on plans to abolish the Graduate Endowment Fee.

In its response, BMA Scotland wrote:

"We welcome any plan that seeks to reduce the burden of debt on students in Scotland. The graduate endowment, when it was first introduced was a better alternative to tuition fees however it still imposed a significant barrier to education. The BMA supports the removal of such financial barriers so that people from all sections of society, who have the academic ability, can study medicine.

"We are concerned that any changes that seek to alleviate student debt do not leave Scotland's higher education establishments at a disadvantage. We would therefore support calls for an independent review of higher education funding, with full student representation, to ensure that Scotland's universities are appropriately funded to compete with universities in the rest of the UK and further afield.

"While we share the goal to end student debt, there are a number of issues that must be considered as part of the wider scrutiny of this proposal. Currently many of the bursaries made available to students from lower income families are funded by the graduate endowment. It is vital that continued funding for these bursaries is guaranteed. The graduate endowment is only a small part of the debt burden on students. There are those studying for second degrees, or who have come to Scotland from elsewhere in the UK who will not be covered by this move and who will be liable for tuition fees of up to £2,700 a year."

http://www.bma.org.uk/scotland

• Additional
• References
• Citations