Student campaigners have vowed to continue the fight for free graduation at the University of West of Scotland.
The promise comes after crunch talks with University of West of Scotland (UWS) chiefs, during which it was agreed the cost of graduating in absentia would be lowered from £40 to £10.
However, the university’s students’ association refused to stop there.
A statement said: “The Students’ Association of the University of the West of Scotland (SAUWS) is determined to ensure that access to money is not a barrier to any student, particularly when UWS has the highest rate of students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds in Scotland.
“Students have worked so hard to successfully complete their studies and should not be excluded from graduation which is such an important celebration of all their accomplishments.
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“We have met with the university executive team and agreed to interim measures of a reduction of the in absentia fee and the establishment of a graduation hardship fund.
“While this meeting was constructive, we believe that the interim measures suggested by UWS do not go far enough and we will continue to fight for the scrapping of graduations fees for all UWS Students.”
The association has been backed in its ‘Free to Graduate’ campaign by Neil Bibby MSP and NUS Scotland.
The latter recently revealed through a Freedom of Information request that mandatory robe hire, photography packages and ceremony tickets could see university students forking out anything from £80 to £225 to graduate.
NUS Scotland president Liam McCabe said: “We would appeal to all institutions across the country to reflect on their graduation fee policies and the impact they have on their least affluent students.
“Institutions must ensure that, in future, their graduations are free and accessible to all those who have earned the right to celebrate their academic successes.”
Mr Bibby added: “Education in Scotland should be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay.
“The news from NUS Scotland that some students could be out of pocket by as much as £225 is stark reading.
“Though their ‘Free to Graduate’ campaign, NUS Scotland revealed that UWS within my region charges students up to £40 just in order to graduate.
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“I would strongly encourage the university to engage with their student membership and to work constructively with NUS Scotland, ensuring every student throughout Scotland is free to graduate.”
A spokeswoman for USW said: “We are fully committed to meaningful engagement on all matters that are important to our students.
“As such we recently met with students and representatives from SAUWS to discuss the complex issues associated with graduation charges.
“At the positive and productive meeting, it was agreed that the university would endeavour to identify strategies that would ultimately allow access to graduation for all students regardless of income.
“In the meantime, a special graduation hardship fund is being created to support eligible students, effective for this summer’s graduation ceremonies. It was further agreed that the university would immediately reduce the cost of graduating in absentia to £10, and the university has also extended the May 7 deadline for payment of graduation fees to May 24.
“We are fully committed to ongoing engagement on this issue and plan to meet with students and SAUWS again over the coming weeks to look at detailed options relating to future free graduation ceremonies.
“In the meantime, details of the criteria associated with the new graduation hardship fund will be announced to students soon.”
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