Part-time students currently have to pay fees up front

Full-time students currently pay a fee of about �2,000 after they graduate, although that is due to be abolished.

Part-time students, however, have to pay fees of between �500 and �2,000 up front each year.

Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop has outlined a grant of up to �500 a year if students earn less than �18,000, on top of �200 a year already available.

More than 20,000 students are expected to benefit from the scheme.

The announcement today is the next step towards moving away from loans to grants Fiona Hyslop Education Secretary

It covers students studying for degrees at university or taking Higher National Diplomas or Certificates at further education colleges.

Most part-time students are classed as "mature" with responsibilities including mortgages and children.

Many work full-time but are on low incomes and often have childcare and transport costs.

Ms Hyslop outlined the financial help while in Paisley to mark the merger of the town's university and Bell College. It will become the University of the West of Scotland.

She said: "We have already stated our intention, subject to parliamentary approval, to abolish the graduate endowment fee.

"The announcement today is the next step towards moving away from loans to grants and will be a major boost for part-time students where fee costs can be a particular barrier."

The �500 grant will be available from next autumn.

Ministers are also bringing in a national hardship fund worth �1m to replace the �500 loans for extra student expenses, which they plans to abolish.