OLDER student nurses face a huge cut in bursary support due to changes to comply with equality laws.

The Scottish Executive has announced it is axing a "two tier" benefits system for student nurses which pays people under the age of 26 less than more mature students.

But today lecturers and a nursing union warned some students would now be put off a caring career.

Students under 26 who have started a course get a bursary of £5990, while older students get £6745.

But new entrants will all get £6100, a 1.8% rise for younger staff but a 9.6% cut for older ones.

There are also changes to child care allowances which will see reduced support for some.

Health Minister Andy Kerr defended the change and insisted: "Nurses and midwives are a cornerstone of Scotland's NHS and we aim to offer a student support package that will allow us to build on the record numbers now working in the service.

"The changes remove two-tier allowances and bring us into line with age discrimination legislation.

"It will also extend the childcare allowance to all students with dependant children."

The allowance pays £2455 for a first child, unchanged from last year, but is now available to both married and unmarried students. But a sliding scale payment of up to £1970 for other children has now been axed and replaced with a £515 limit.

This was the lowest rate on the old scale, paid for children up to age 11.

It means a reduction in help for students who have older children.

Jane McCready, of the Royal College of Nursing, fears students could now drop out, or never enrol.

She said: "We already face a drop-out rate of 24% and poverty is a large part of why students do not complete a course.

"Nursing students don't get a summer break during which they can earn. They have to take unpaid placements and the bursary is supposed to cover them for that."

An Executive spokes-man said the new bursary was set at a rate which ensured the NHS complied with discrimination laws in a "cost neutral" way, once the costs of increases for younger students and allowances for dependents were taken into account.

He added: "This is not about saving money."