NUS lobbies for Cubie reforms

Students lobbied Scottish parliamentarians this week, urging them to implement the Cubie inquiry's recommendations in forthcoming legislation on the graduate endowment scheme.

The parliament's enterprise and lifelong learning committee is considering its report on the legislation, which sets a £10,000 earnings threshold for graduates to make a £2,000 contribution to the scheme. The Cubie committee recommended a £3,075 contribution from graduates earning more than £25,000.

Enterprise and lifelong learning minister Wendy Alexander has unveiled a new guide to student support that outlines entitlements such as bursaries available to students from low income backgrounds. Scottish students in Scottish institutions no longer pay tuition fees, there are a number of £500 hardship loans, and the residual income level for parental contributions has been raised to £20,000.

Mandy Telford, president of the National Union of Students Scotland, said the message was: "Well done for producing this, but we would like them going a little step further and implementing Cubie in full."