MSP slams Tory plans to end free education in Scotland

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SNP MSP Joan McAlpine has warned that a vote for the Tories in May is a vote to impose tuition fees on Scottish students.
 
Her warning came after the Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson announced on Sunday that the party in Scotland wanted to introduce a ‘graduate contribution’ from university leavers.
 
Free University education was introduced by the SNP government in Scotland and continuing it is one of the party’s key pledges in this year’s Scottish election.
 
Ms McAlpine, a graduate of Glasgow University said:
 
“This threat to end free education will dismay young people in Dumfriesshire hoping to attend university.
 
“The Tories haven’t given any details about how much students would be expected to pay, or exactly when they would have to start paying it.
 
“It is completely unacceptable to leave young people considering going to university in the dark about what it will cost them.
 
“I would be interested to hear what the local candidate Oliver Mundell thinks of this, having recently graduated from Edinburgh University.
 
“The Tories have taken a wrecking ball to higher education in England – leaving young peole with a massive debt burden. As long as there is an SNP government in Scotland, education will never become the market-driven, wealth-determined lottery it has become south of the border.
 
“With Labour all over the place on university tuition fees, and the Lib Dems almost wiped out because of their broken promises to students – it is clear that only a vote for the SNP in May’s election can safeguard Scotland’s proud tradition of free higher education.”