NUS Scotland has called for “bold and ambitious” reform of financial help available to students, as figures show increasing levels of student debt north of the border.

Student Loans Company statistics show that a total of £548.3 million was lent to Scottish university students in 2015-16, a rise of 6 per cent from 2014-15.

The average debt of students who graduated in 2015 and entered loan repayment in 2016 was £10,500, up from £9,410 the previous year, although average debt remains lower than in other parts of Britain as most Scottish students do not pay tuition fees in their home country.