I’LL SOON graduate from a Scottish university, and, having come from a background where neither parent attended university, I know I am incredibly lucky — but what I don’t feel lucky for is the student experience. In typical student fashion I’d like to take this opportunity to moan about it. 

While the course fees for Scottish universities are free, living costs are not; when we graduate with clouds of debt hanging over us, can we really call this “free education”? 

Even then the loans do not come close to covering living costs. When I started university the minimum Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) payment was roughly £475 a month and by now it has risen to £600. This year it will rise to £800 a month. So over five years it has almost doubled, but considering rents have risen further beyond affordable levels (a third of income would be reasonable, but most spend far more), can we seriously call this an improvement? It’s not nearly enough.