Students regardless of background must feel university is an option
Commenting on figures from UCAS showing a drop in the number of students from Scotland's poorest areas going to university last year and an increase in the number from the most-affluent communities, Ross Greer, Education spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for West of Scotland, said:
"These numbers are a stark reminder that Scottish Ministers must pick up the pace on making education accessable to all. This is about more than whether or not we introduce tuition fees, which would of course be a disaster. It's about the putting in place the support systems, financial or otherwise which allow students regardless of their background to feel that university is an option open to them.
"The Commission on Widening Access has been quite clear. If we want to encourage more students from less well off backgrounds we need to tackle financial and cultural barriers, and do more to reach out to those students to support their aspirations. No one should be put off applying for university because of their family's income."
Drop in university students from most-deprived areas (BBC)