SNP MSP Aileen Campbell has called on the Labour party to recognise its responsibility for student debt and apologise to Scotland’s students for inflicting the additional burden of the Graduate Endowment.

Her call comes as new figures show the debt built up since the introduction of the student loans system has now reached £2 billion.

Ms Campbell said:

“Today’s figures reflect the appalling legacy of over ten years of a Labour Government which forced students into debt to fund their education.

“Labour should apologise for inflicting on them the £2289 debt burden of the Graduate Endowment tuition fee in addition to the burden of student loans.

“Had Labour remained in Government students would have continued to have over £2000 added to their debts. As it is, the SNP have scrapped the Graduate Endowment relieving students of that additional burden, and average student debt at graduation has fallen from £11,416 under Labour in 2006 to £10,947 under the SNP in 2007.

“But Scottish students should never forget that Labour and the Tories ganged up in an unholy alliance and attempted to retain the unfair tax on learning by voting against the SNP Government’s legislation to abolish the Graduate Endowment fee and reintroduce the principle of free education.

“The Scottish Government has introduced £38 million of grants for part-time students who will no longer have to rely on loans to pay essential costs – cutting future student debt further.

"Today’s figures are a sad indictment of Labour’s stewardship of higher education.”