Labour today highlighted figures which show student debt has leapt by over £200 million in the SNP's first year in government despite promises to write off student debt and replace loans with grants at the last election.

The new statistics for student debt in the Higher Education sector in Scotland show that student debt has increased to over £2billion in the SNP's first year in Government - a leap of 8.9%.

Claire Baker, Labour's Higher Education and Student Support Spokesperson, said: "These figures are damning. They show in the starkest manner the emptiness of the SNP 's rhetoric."

"The SNP's manifesto promised to 'dump the debt.' but these stats show an increase of over £200m in the amount owed by students to the Government.

"Under the SNP it's students who are being dumped on by the government with the highest levels of student debt ever in Scotland, breaking the £2billion barrier for the first time."

She added: "The SNP continually boast of returning free education to Scotland but these figures show the reality. Students and graduates across Scotland have been let down by the government.

"At the same time as student debt is increasing, students in Scotland are being left behind the rest of the UK in terms of student support. A student in England can access over £1500 more per year than a student in Scotland, who in turn, risk increased levels of credit card and personal loan debt.

"The SNP gave false hope to students and graduates at the last election, and since coming to power have failed to live up to their election promises.

"In the last year we have seen proposals for a Local Income Tax which will hit over 55,000 students in Scotland; proposals to restrict where students can live; proposals for £12m cuts in student support over the next 3 years and changes to the means test that could see thousands of current students facing up to cuts in their funding.

"These figures are further proof that the SNP are not delivering for students in Scotland as they said they would."

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