Anger as £5m is slashed from fund to help send poor Scots kids to university

A QUANGO which funds universities and colleges has cut £5m from a special budget used to fund bursaries for students from deprived backgrounds.

The Scottish Funding Council reduced spending in the vital area despite concerns at Holyrood that not enough young people from poorer areas are entering higher education.

However, a sector source said the fault was with universities for not bringing in enough students from disadvantaged localities.

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It emerged last year that young Scots from disadvantaged areas are four times less likely to go to university than their counterparts from wealthy backgrounds.