Students Eligible for Funding

Statistical publication schedule

Publications and Statistics

Provisional information on the numbers of students eligible for funding at the 19 higher education institutions (HEIs) funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has been published today (13 June 2023). The Students Eligible for Funding publication reports on the number of students eligible for funding which is distinct from the number of funded places provided by SFC, with HEIs having some flexibility to offer places beyond their allocation.

The report shows that between 2021-22 and 2022-23, the total number of full-time students eligible for funding has decreased by 8,575 or 5.6%. This can in part be attributed to the change in eligibility for EU students following the UK’s exit from the European Union, with new EU students starting courses from 2021-22 onwards no longer eligible for funding. COVID-19 is also likely to have had an impact on non-continuation rates due to the restrictions introduced during the pandemic.

Despite the fall in the number of students eligible for funding, record numbers of Scottish domiciled applicants aged 18 or under were accepted to an HEI in 2022-23. In 2022-23 17,120 applicants were accepted for a place at Scottish institutions, 195 (1.2%) higher than for 2021-22 and 2,230 (15.0%) higher than for 2018-19.