STUDENTS in Scotland face soaring levels of debt because of the credit crunch, according to a new survey.
Graduates will be in the red by an average of £13,000 by the end of their degrees – up by a third on last year's estimate – because of the rising costs of heating, rent and food, it claims.
English students, who pay tuition fees, are predicted to graduate with an average of more than £17,500 of debt.
The figures emerged after a separate study revealed increasing numbers of students are working more hours to survive.
Research from the Bank of Scotland revealed two-thirds of students have a job to support them through their studies. On average, students in Scotland and Northern Ireland worked the longest hours – eight hours a week, while 9 per cent of Scots worked more than 21 hours a week.
The debt survey was carried out by the university guide Push, and a spokesman said: "Scottish students seem to have been hit especially hard by the recent downturn in the economy.
"Our research shows that the prices of the items students buy – things like rent, groceries, entertainments – have risen faster in Scotland than the rest of the UK."
However, he added: "Scotland does remain relatively cheap, though, and the funding system for students is more generous."
The survey puts Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen as the lowest in the UK, with students incurring an average debt of £4,481 in the course of a degree. Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh is third lowest, at £6,090.
The National Union of Students recently carried out a survey of its own that highlighted debt problems.
Gurjit Singh, its president, said: "Our report, Scotland's Lost Opportunities, revealed a third of students had considered dropping out because of financial hardship, and the situation is only being exacerbated in this challenging financial climate. As the cost of living rises, it's an accepted fact many students will work through their studies."
He warned work could have a negative effect on a student's performance, and said: "NUS Scotland is deeply worried that students are being forced to increase their working hours, in some cases to more than 20 hours a week, to keep up with the rising cost of living. It's a timetable that will undoubtedly jeopardise their studies."
He called on the Scottish Government to ensure the proposed local income tax did not punish students.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: "Data on graduate debt from the Student Loans Company clearly shows students in Scotland leave with significantly lower levels of debt compared with students in England. In 2008, Scots left with an average debt a little over half of the figure for England."
He stressed that the SNP government was committed to improving the support available to students.
The Scottish Government has already abolished the £2,300 Graduate Endowment that students paid on graduation.
