PRESSURE is mounting on Scottish ministers after it emerged that almost 20,000 vulnerable young students are without vital cash.

Postal strikes, plus a record number of applicants, mean Young Student Bursaries have not reached those they are meant to help: less-well-off students, and those who have young children or are disabled.

Our sister paper the Sunday Herald revealed yesterday that delays worth up to £200 a month are causing hardship for 18,800 students.

One student who applied in August said he was told not to expect his funds for another three weeks, and now faces eviction.

Bill Aitken, of the Scottish Conservatives, called on the Scottish Government to cut the postal service out of the system and hand the money directly to universities. "The government must get the cash to them by whatever means, the most obvious being paying the universities directly," he said.

The Scottish Government paid out £66.9m in Young Student Bursaries during the 2007/2008 academic year. The total is expected to rise this year, given a 10% increase in the number of students.

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) said 135,784 applications had been received this year to date, and 117,500 processed.

The Scottish Government insisted the SAAS was hitting its target.

The SAAS said that if students had not heard anything 28 days after making their application, they should check the status of their application at www.saas.gov.uk before contacting the agency by e-mail.

It also advised worried students to approach their college or university for assistance from special discretionary funds.