The Act
3 The Act provides for payment of a “graduate endowment” by a “graduate” in respect of the “higher education benefits” afforded to him or her. “Graduate” and “higher education benefits” are defined in section 1(5) of the Act.
4 The details of the endowment, including the description of graduate liable to pay it and the amount and manner of payment, are to be set out in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers. Such regulations may also exempt certain categories of individual and certain courses.
5 The Act imposes a duty on the Scottish Ministers to include, in the budget proposals made for each financial year, provision for the income raised by the payment of the graduate endowment in that year to be used for the purposes of student support provided by Scottish Ministers.
6 The Act amends the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, so that regulations governing the payment of student allowances and loans by the Scottish Ministers can be extended to allow payments to be made to distance learning students and to former students. It also amends the Local Government Finance Act 1992 so as to exempt students who share accommodation with people other than students from liability for council tax.