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The principal of a Scottish university has called for a graduate tax to be levied once students are in employment.

Dr Brian Lang, principal of St Andrews University, has urged the Scottish Executive to consider the idea.

He emphasised it would be fairer than tuition fees because it would not penalise students from poorer economic backgrounds.

He also highlighted the lower levels of funding for Scottish universities when compared to their English and US counterparts.

Dr Lang told a conference in Edinburgh: "Graduate taxation might help to do away with the argument that fees are expected to be paid by impoverished undergraduates, because the tax payments would in reality be made by rather well-educated graduates and even then only when they have found paid employment."

The National Union of Students Scotland (NUSS) has come out in opposition to the idea.

James Alexander, president of the NUSS, said: "Graduates that have financially benefited from their course already pay higher tax because they have increased earnings.

"There are also a large number of students who never benefit financially from their degrees, such as student nurses and those entering the voluntary sector."

Fiona Hyslop, Scottish education secretary, said she was looking into student finance but she had no plans for a graduate tax.

Recent studies have suggested that at present, a typical UK student leaves university with debts of around £10,000.