The Higher Education Student Support report showed that the total amount of bursaries and grants was £66.1 million for 2015/16, compared to £127.7 million in 2010/11.
This means that the average support per student has dropped from £1,850 to £1,330 over the same period.
The Scottish Conservatives have warned that this will only serve to increase Scotland’s attainment gap, with education experts having previously warned that the SNP’s free tuition policy has “embedded social inequality”.
Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liz Smith said:
“These are hugely worrying figures, and show that the SNP has slashed bursary support in recent years.
“At a time when we should be doing all we can to close Scotland’s attainment gap, the SNP has chosen to cut the money given to those who need it most.
“Bursaries are designed to help students get their foot in the door but this is becoming increasingly hard, and it’s those in our poorest communities who are missing out.
“When free tuition fees have also shown to do nothing to help social mobility, the SNP needs to urgently rethink these cuts before inequality grows even further.