“Widening access to higher education is incredibly important because it can disrupt cycles of deprivation and level up opportunities for under-represented groups in our society.“We should celebrate the progress reflected in this report. However, the pandemic and the real-life experiences of students remind us that circumstances can change very quickly and that we need to constantly redefine the challenges of widening access and design systems that can flex to them.Responding better to the changing needs of learners and society is a key part of the recommendations in our review of Tertiary Education and Research, and we are preparing to work towards this with our partners.”
“All learners should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential regardless of background or circumstances, so it is great to see the number of Scots from the most deprived areas at university hit a record high in 2019-20.“By exceeding the Widening Access interim target early, our universities continue to demonstrate their progress in admitting students based on their potential, and not just past academic achievement.“It is also positive to see over a fifth (21.4%) of full-time undergraduate entrants coming from the most deprived areas in Scotland when looking at the college and university sectors combined.“I also welcome the latest Annual Report from the Commissioner for Fair Access, also published today, which continues to challenge both policymakers and the sector to do more to improve the accessibility of higher education in Scotland, especially given the additional complexity created by COVID-19. I will consider this report and its recommendations carefully.”
“This review has brought together the expertise and experience of countless participants. I am incredibly grateful to all of them for being so generous with their time and expertise amongst the many other demands of the past year.“It is clear that we come from a position of strength with some of the best colleges and universities in the world. However, we are living in uncertain and changing times and we need to create the conditions for a tertiary education, skills and research system that can be more responsive not only to learners but to the economic, cultural and social needs of Scotland.“We look forward to working with partners to deliver on the many recommendations set out in our Report that will enable us to respond effectively and at pace, and set ambitious pathways for the future.”
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“The 2021 Herald Higher Education Awards ceremony was inspirational. It was also a richly deserved celebration of everything that colleges and universities in Scotland have achieved under difficult circumstances in the past year. My congratulations to all the finalists and winners.”
Speaking about Martin Fairbairn’s award she said:
“Martin shaped tertiary education funding and policy for decades, and the organisation SFC has become today. It is an intense pleasure to see Martin being recognised for his outstanding success”.
Students experiencing hardship over summer as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) can apply for financial support if they are struggling to meet accommodation and other costs.
Backed by £20 million of new Scottish Government funding, students in financial hardship can apply directly to their college or university’s Coronavirus Discretionary Fund.
The Scottish Government has also committed to review the future of summer support and the availability of funds will be monitored to ensure support remain available to students throughout summer.
This latest funding package takes total Scottish Government support for students since the start of the pandemic to more than £96 million.
Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said:
“The pandemic has impacted students significantly and not only has there been disruption to their education, but many students have faced financial difficulties with accommodation, associated costs or challenges in getting jobs. This additional £20 million will help to alleviate the financial pressure and stress facing many of our students over the summer period.
“The Student Hardship Task Force have been a crucial voice in ensuring students are supported this summer and I thank them for their important work.
“The support provided to students over the course of the pandemic has been substantial with now over £96 million being provided via hardship funding, digital access, mental health support and for student associations.”
James Dunphy, Director of Access, Learning and Outcomes at the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“We know that financial pressures contribute to other challenges faced by students, including mental health and being able to confidently complete their studies. This is a really welcome announcement.”
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has today given Funding for Mental Health in colleges AY 2021-22. The money will allow colleges to develop mental health and resilience packages that fit their own specific needs.
The move is the latest in a series of Scottish Government investments made through SFC to support students and staff struggling to cope with the mental health impacts of COVID-19.
In 2020 SFC announced £1.32 million to colleges and universities for services such as online counselling. Recognising the negative effect of money worries on student mental health, last summer also saw over £11 million of discretionary funds being made available for additional financial support. Earlier this year, SFC also allocated over £750,000 to help student associations in their work to provide mental health services.
The latest funding will help to develop the role of Mental Health Co-ordinators in colleges. Other uses of the money could include more student-led services, such as the creation of a colleges’ mental health nightline and more wellbeing support for college staff.
Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said:
“We know that the move to blended learning and significant reduction in face to face learning over the last year has been especially challenging for our college students.
“Our funding of £4.4 million, supported by the guidance published today, builds on significant Scottish Government investment already made in this area and will enable colleges to develop mental health and resilience packages that are most appropriate to the needs of their communities. This includes the development of Mental Health Co-ordinators, Nightline and support for staff.”
James Dunphy, Director of Access, Learning and Outcomes at the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“Positive mental health is fundamental to students’ ability to progress and make the most of their education experience.
“We know the pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental and emotional health of many students, and so this funding is a further vital investment in positive student outcomes.”
Shona Struthers, Chief Executive of Colleges Scotland said:
“Since the start of the pandemic, colleges in Scotland have been working hard with Scottish Government to increase the funding for mental health support to benefit students and staff who have faced some really difficult circumstances. The funding is a substantial investment in mental health support which colleges can use locally to best suit the needs of their students and their workforce.”
Three Scottish universities have made it into the top 100 in this year’s QS World University Rankings. Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews all feature in the top 100 with all three improving on their previous ranking. Edinburgh features as Scotland’s highest ranked university moving up from 20th to 16th in the world this year. Edinburgh also featured as the fifth highest university in the United Kingdom behind Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and Imperial College London.
Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt and Stirling also all improved on their ranking from the previous year. In addition to Strathclyde and Dundee a total of eight Scottish universities made it into the top 500.
Featuring 13,000 universities from around the world, this year’s university rankings are the largest number ever. Each institution has been assessed according to six key metrics including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/ student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ration and international student ratio.
Martin Boyle SFC’s Director of Policy, Insight and Analytics said:
“It’s fantastic to see three Scottish universities featuring in the top 100 with many of Scotland’s universities improving on their performance in this year’s QS Top Universities rankings.
“We want to help make Scotland the best place in the world to educate, research and innovate and these rankings demonstrate that Scotland’s universities continue to improve and are world leading.”
Eight Scottish universities have made it into the top 50 of the Complete University Guide (CUG) league tables for 2022, with Stirling, Strathclyde, Dundee, Heriot-Watt, Glasgow and Edinburgh all improving on their 2021 rankings.
Every year for the last 25 years CUG has released a set of university and subject league tables aimed at guiding prospective students in their higher education decision making. This year’s tables indicate similar levels of performance to last year from most universities. However, there have been some substantial changes including some positive moves for Scottish universities.
These include the University of Glasgow moving up three places into 16th position with its highest ranking in five years. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland continues to do well in the Arts, Music and Drama league table, moving from fifth in 2021 to the top spot this year. Heriot-Watt has moved into the top ten for Civil Engineering, rising thirteen places since last year.
Meanwhile, Scotland maintains its strong foothold in the 2022 Medicine rankings with Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen all featuring in the top ten. Finally, In Economics, Scotland now has three universities featuring in the top ten with St Andrews, Strathclyde and Glasgow.
The CUG league tables measure ten criteria including, entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality, and the ratio of staff to students. They rank 130 universities throughout the UK.
More information on its 2022 league tables are available from the CUG website.
Researchers based in Scotland and Europe can apply to a new £3 million scheme aimed at repairing research links with the EU following the damaging impact of Brexit.
Hundreds of European research and innovation projects are expected to benefit from the Scottish Government’s Saltire Research Awards.
The fund, delivered via the Scottish Funding Council and Royal Society of Edinburgh, will be open to all research disciplines including arts, humanities and social sciences and multidisciplinary projects.
Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said:
“Scotland’s excellence in research and innovation is one of our greatest assets and our international connections are vital to maintaining and extending this.
“Many of our most effective collaborations are with partners in Europe and our new £3 million fund will help Scotland reinvigorate and repair vital research partnerships with Europe following the uncertainty caused by Brexit in recent years. This is crucial especially for our successful participation in Horizon Europe.
“Research collaboration has been crucial during the pandemic and will continue to be critical in addressing the net zero transition and other global challenges. Scotland’s future continues to firmly include European research collaboration and now is the time to help our researchers grow these important partnerships.”
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“Collaboration with European institutions has been vital for Scotland’s world-leading status in university research and their success in winning European research grants and contracts.
“The funding announced today will help keep those research partnerships going and enable us to attract top international research talent.
We very much welcome this funding and look forward to the impact it will have across the sector.”
Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, President (interim) of the Royal Society of Edinburgh said:
“Programmes such as the Saltire Research Awards play an important role in supporting research excellence and maintaining Scotland’s reputation as a world leader in research. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to making the awards a success”.
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has confirmed funding of £1.9 billion for colleges and universities for the next academic year.
The announcement represents the highest annual allocation of teaching and research funding ever made by the Scottish Funding Council. It includes money to support the health and wellbeing of students and puts colleges and universities at the heart of economic and social recovery and transformation.
Also included in today’s announcement is £16.2 million for work-based apprenticeship programmes. This will fund over 1,370 Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) places at universities and 3,160 Foundation Apprenticeships (FA) at colleges for senior phase school pupils, to meet the collective ambition of 5,000 FA opportunities in AY 2021-22, through colleges, local authorities and independent training providers.
Overall, the funding for Scotland’s colleges, at £712 million, represents an uplift of more than £60 million from last year. Colleges will also be funded to help regional employers get the skills they need and to help people reskill for future employment. This funding includes an additional £10 million to support delivery of the Young Person’s Guarantee. Today’s announcement also enables colleges to support students whose studies have been disrupted during the pandemic.
In the university sector, teaching funding at £738 million represents an increase of £53 million (8 percent) from last year. This includes around £14 million to fund additional places for young people leaving school following the special assessment arrangements created by the pandemic. Further funding of £294 million secures and protects vital investment in our university research and innovation base, so that we continue to discover new knowledge and translate that knowledge into benefits for health, economic prosperity and wider social impact.
Higher and Further Education Minister, Jamie Hepburn, said:
“In my new role I look forward to working closely with the Scottish Funding Council. Colleges and universities are key strategic assets not only in the fight against the pandemic but in our economic and social recovery which is why, for financial year 2021-22, the Scottish Government has increased funding to both the college and university sectors.”
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“This investment in Scotland’s colleges and universities is vital for our pipeline of skilled and educated talent for the future, widens access to opportunities, protects world-leading research and plays a leading role in securing sustainable economic prosperity and a vibrant society.”
Scottish universities are being invited to take advantage of up to £32.8 million of low interest loans funding for capital projects in response to the climate emergency. The announcement comes as Scotland prepares to host the COP-26 conference in Glasgow in November. Universities are being asked for proposals for innovative and sustainable ways of reducing their carbon footprint.
The announcement is the latest in a series of investments by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to support Scotland’s response to climate change.
In 2019 a £19m programme aimed at boosting investment in energy efficiency across Scotland’s universities was confirmed to provide accessible support and finance for carbon reduction throughout the sector and build capacity for funding in additional years.
2019 also saw SFC funding to support the UK’s largest research, industry and government partnership in carbon capture, use and storage.
Last year £500,000 for partnership projects was announced to make buildings and construction more environmentally friendly. This was through high-tech, green retrofitting to reduce carbon emissions from existing housing stock.
This year the priority will be given to projects which offer the greatest carbon savings in return for the funding. Each project will be expected to quantify the planned environmental benefits from the funding requested.
Universities are invited to submit an expression of interest in the funding by 30 July 2021.
Dr Stuart Fancey, Director of Research and Innovation at SFC said:
“Universities and colleges play a vital role in tackling the climate emergency. Today’s announcement, alongside our ongoing investments in climate change, will help to bring about changes that will safeguard the future of our planet.”
Higher Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said:
“Higher Education Institutes are ideally placed to apply their own expertise to realise net zero innovations on their estates that will inspire other organisations to follow suit.
“This funding will help universities play their part in reducing emissions and contribute to our net zero goals.”
The four UK higher education funding bodies are launching the Future Research Assessment (FRA) Programme of work. This programme, initiated at the request of Ministers in the UK Government and Devolved Administrations, is a significant piece of work aimed at exploring possible approaches to the assessment of UK higher education research performance.
Through dialogue with universities, the programme seeks to understand what a healthy, thriving research system looks like and how an assessment model can best form its foundation. It will investigate possible different approaches to the evaluation of UK higher education research performance, looking to identify those which can encourage and strengthen the emphasis on delivering excellent research and impact, support a positive research culture, while simplifying and reducing the administrative burden on the HE sector.
In line with responsible research assessment practices, the programme will evaluate the current REF 2021 exercise, including examining the impact of COVID-19 and the mitigations put in place by the REF team. Alongside this work, the funding bodies will engage in extensive consultation with the sector to understand how future assessment exercises might best support a thriving, inclusive research system in the UK. A series of engagement events and a formal written consultation will aim to foster bold and creative discussions about the UK’s future research assessment system. This programme of work is expected to conclude by late 2022.
An International Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman (President-elect, International Science Council), has been set up to advise the funding bodies in their evaluation and consultation activities. The Group will also assist in the development and evaluation of options for the future approach to national research assessment within the UK.
They are expected to provide a sounding board for emerging ideas, challenging the assumptions and scope of the programme, where appropriate. Members have been appointed from across the globe and represent a range of expertise and national contexts. Full membership can be found here along with the Terms of Reference for the Group.
“I look forward to working with my international colleagues to advise the funding bodies as they explore possible assessment models for the future. This is an exciting opportunity to consider how national research assessment can form the foundation for a healthy, inclusive and dynamic research system. It is important that we think about what we value as carefully as how we evaluate it and listen closely to priorities and concerns from across the UK’s research community.”
For further information please see the UKRI website.
Receiving an allocation from the Tackling Child Poverty Fund has allowed Dundee and Angus College to work creatively and considerately with young people who previously did not consider college to be an option.
Through its innovative ‘Find Your Future’ project, the College has been able to demonstrate that learning and progression can take many forms, from engaging in soft touchpoints to starting full-time mainstream courses.
Amongst the clear benefits of the project are its offer of flexible provision and wrap-around support, which has empowered young people back into learning. Staff working on the project have also seen a visible increase in overall wellbeing and self-efficacy of participants – young people who had been disempowered and disenfranchised.
The project has created successful partnerships with many public and third sector organisations across Angus and Dundee. This has been a key factor in its ability to reach the young people it was designed to support.
Even through lockdown, staff working on the project were able to work creatively by delivering online opportunities. These included two successful Gaming Academies in partnership with INTO Games and industry experts, Outplay. They also included a weekly Wellbeing Group in partnership with Community Learning & Development and GOGA.
Now that lockdown has lifted, the College is onto its final academy, FYF in the Countryside, equipping another cohort with work-based training and accreditation.
The College is currently awaiting news about its final year of funding, so it can continue to grow what is proving to be a unique and impactful approach to working with young people.
Its future work will be inspired by the amazing feedback from those who have been involved in the ‘Find Your Future’ project so far:
“You made me see differently. You made all my options so clear and now I’m here.”
“I never would’ve come to college if you hadn’t come to see us in the town. Week 3 and I’m loving it!”
“The young parents I have spoken to are so excited by what this project can offer them! This provision will really fill a gap for us and our young people.”
“This project . . . a light touch service to break down barriers with young people . . . we now see that it is one we have been missing.”
Katie Baxter, Learning Engagement Manager, Dundee and Angus College
SFC’s Call for Proposals for the 2021-22 Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan has now been published.
In a £1.9 billion indicative funding announcement made today, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) pledges to support students to complete their studies, create new funded places for students and apprenticeships, and protect research, as part of an education-led economic recovery.
According to the figures released by SFC, the college sector should plan for an increase of more than £70 million while universities are set to receive a record £1,112.4 million.
In order to help students to complete their studies, individual colleges will see increases to their teaching grants of between 6.9 percent and 12.8 percent. The increases will include funding for mental health services and digital learning. Colleges will also receive one-off funding to support employers get the skills they need and to help people reskill for future employment.
In the university sector, teaching funding will increase by 8.1 percent. This will include funding for additional places created following increased applications from school leavers. The funding also secures an increase in research investment.
These indicative allocations for the next academic year build on an additional investment of £80 million also announced today for the current year. Alongside helping to ease significant financial pressures across the sector, and lost income arising from the Covid pandemic, this investment includes an additional £40 million to support students to complete studies disrupted by the pandemic and to protect jobs across the sector. A further £20 million will provide an immediate boost for research and knowledge exchange, supporting Scotland’s economic recovery.
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“Colleges and universities have been flexible, responsive and innovative in dealing with the impact of Covid-19. The funding we are announcing today will support students to gain qualifications and move on to further studies or into employment, and will protect vital research for the future. Investing in this pipeline of talent and research matters for Scotland’s social and economic recovery, and future prosperity.”
The additional and indicative funding allocations can be accessed from our home page under ‘Latest Publications’.
New resources, designed to help tackle the issue of racism on university and college campuses, have been unveiled today at a national equality and diversity conference.
Their development has been funded and supported by the Scottish Funding Council, working in partnership with HE equalities organisation, Advance HE, and created by a steering group of experts from the Scottish further and higher education sectors.
The project to develop the resources is part of a wider SFC-funded initiative set up in response to the 2019 Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) enquiry into racial harassment at universities in the UK. The report revealed that racial harassment was a common experience for students and staff. Following its publication, EHRC Commissioner, Pavita Cooper, called on people to listen to the real life experiences of those studying and working at universities and to tackle the issue “once and for all”.
Khadija Mohammed, a senior lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland and Chair of the steering group, said:
“It has been an absolute honour and privilege to work alongside an expert steering group. Together, we shared powerful stories of our lived experiences of racial harassment and these narratives helped to shape the direction of this project.
“Our passion and commitment is evident through the co-creation of the assets. We have had some critical and often uncomfortable conversations about race and racism in our institutions.
“It’s now time for critical action and accountability – the challenge will be to sustain the dialogue, as we move forward as a sector, in order to ensure our educational settings are racially just and inclusive spaces.”
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“The EHRC Commissioner called for people to listen to the experiences of those who have suffered racial harassment on campus and to tackle the issues raised. That was the starting point for SFC’s investment in this project and for the work we have undertaken since 2019 with the EHRC and Advance HE.
“I am proud of what we have achieved so far, and grateful to the work done by Khadija and the Steering Group in producing resources to support informed discussion and actions. This is a significant step forward and a strong platform for the work that lies ahead.”
The resources include a Race Literacy Glossary which defines and explains terms used in current debates about racism, making it easier for students and staff to have informed discussions. The materials also contain guidance for leadership teams considering the actions they need to take to stamp out racism on campus.
The Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead, has announced that Mike Cantlay has been reappointed as Chair of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) for a further four years.
First appointed SFC Chair in October 2017, Mr Cantlay is currently also Chair of NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage). He has previously held other senior public offices, including Chair of VisitScotland; Chair of Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley; and Chair of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd. Mr Cantlay studied at the University of Strathclyde and has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stirling. He was made an OBE in 2014 for services to tourism.
Welcoming the news, Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“During Mike’s first term in office, the Scottish Funding Council has risen to many challenges in order to sustain Scotland’s world-leading system of tertiary education, research and innovation.
“Mike’s experience in both the private sector and in public sectors has been an invaluable asset throughout. I am delighted that Mike will remain as Chair of SFC as we face the task of supporting Scotland’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and considering the future for students, research and innovation, and sustainable institutions.”
The Fuel Change Challenge National Showcase took place yesterday (Wed 3 March). The event unveiled 20 low carbon concepts, selected from 38 original submissions, which will now be taken forward for further development.
Funded by the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland, the Fuel Challenge was set up to provide a unique platform for the next generation to create a low carbon future.
The apprentices presented their concepts to a panel of experts, having earlier received guidance and support from industry mentors. The concepts were developed in response to six challenges, including; how to recycle decommissioned aircraft; how to create an electric bus network in a medium-sized town; and how to create virtual replicas of physical devices.
Some projects were highlighted by the judges as being worthy of special mention. Amongst these was the manufacture of feature clocks from aircraft fuselages, where it was revealed that the team had already made its first sale. The judges were equally impressed by the concept of “Green Fort William”, and the idea of seaweed farms to absorb CO2 and produce harvestable products.
The judges stressed that each of the 20 showcased ideas were commissionable and praised the “vision, energy and innovation” of all the teams.
David Reid, Programme Director at Fuel Change, said:
“Fuel Change has proven that it’s time for my generation to embrace the energy and inventiveness of the next generation in tackling climate change. This platform will lead to jobs and skills for the future, created by those who deliver them.”
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“I’m delighted that we have been able to joint-fund this initiative along with our partners, Skills Development Scotland. This is an imaginative and well-designed initiative that meets an important national objective for climate change. The National Showcase was an amazing event and the culmination of a lot of hard work from the apprentices and their mentors.”
The keynote speaker at the event was Sacha Dench, an Australian biologist, conservationist, UN Ambassador and adventurer who undertook a 7,000 kilometre migration survey on a paramotor. The event was hosted by BBC presenter, Amy Irons.
Scotland’s colleges are to benefit from £8.7 million of funding distributed by the Scottish Funding Council, with a further £1.3 million for student support being delivered through SAAS, as part of the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Launched by the Scottish Government in November 2020 this funding is part of the £60 million invested this year in the Young Person’s Guarantee. This will offer all young people between the ages of 16 and 24 the chance to succeed through the opportunity to study; take up an apprenticeship, job or work experience; or participate in formal volunteering.
The Guarantee is being delivered in partnership through Scottish Government, colleges and universities, Local Authorities, Skills Development Scotland, Fair Start Scotland, the third sector, DWP Kickstart and Developing the Young Workforce.
Colleges will play a vital role in Scotland’s education-led economic recovery and this funding is supporting them to provide new and innovative courses which will provide opportunities for up to 5,000 young people seeking to learn new skills in key sectors such as engineering, computing and digital, education and care.
Importantly, these courses will be linked to employers and developed with industry partners to ensure they are delivering the essential skills that each sector requires.
Scottish Government Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:
“During this crisis we have taken action to support young people who have been some of the hardest by the pandemic.
“Since November alone, the Young Person’s Guarantee has created around 18,000 opportunities for people aged between 16 and 24 to help them into work, education or training. This new college provision is a key part of that work, supporting our future workforce to gain valuable skills and experience and support a strong economic recovery for Scotland.”
SFC Director of Access, Learning and Outcomes, James Dunphy, said:
“Given the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s prospects, it is more important than ever that Scotland’s young people are not left behind. Our colleges are ideally placed to provide opportunities that will provide them with new skills and prepare them for the world of work.
“We are delighted that the Young Person’s Guarantee is supporting colleges to develop courses that both support the needs of learners and also meet the needs of their regional economies as we navigate our way through the COVID-19 environment.”
Shona Struthers, Chief Executive of Colleges Scotland, said:
“This is a really difficult time for many young people and the Young Person’s Guarantee means a range of new college courses have been promptly rolled out to support people under 25 enhance their qualifications and skills.
“Colleges across Scotland are committed to working with young people to make the most of all the available opportunities during the pandemic. Colleges are a critical part of helping this generation to thrive in their future careers.”
Background
- Young Person’s Guarantee website.
- £60 million investment was outlined for the Young Person’s Guarantee this year.
- A further £70 million has been allocated for 2021-22 as part of the budget statement.
New figures from the university admissions service, UCAS, show the total number of applicants to Scottish universities has risen by over 12 per cent (an increase of 14,700 applicants), reaching a record high for this point in the application cycle.
The figures show a significant increase in applicants to Scottish universities from young people aged 18 or under. By the 29 January deadline, a total of 20,410 students in this age group had applied for a place, an increase of over 16 per cent – or 2,900 applicants. The number of applicants aged 21 or over has also increased this year and is up by 13.4 per cent.
The number of Scottish school leavers applying to nursing courses at a Scottish university has increased by 27.7 per cent, indicative of the high profile of the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic and a reminder of the part played by Scotland’s universities in enabling and supporting Scotland’s health services.
The UCAS figures reflect changes brought about by Brexit, with EU application figures to Scottish universities falling by almost 40 per cent, a picture reflected at universities across the UK. In line with a trend that first emerged in 2015, the number of non-EU overseas applicants to Scottish universities has continued to rise, increasing by over 26 per cent.
There was positive news too for initiatives, such as the SFC-funded Schools for Higher Education Programme, which work to encourage school pupils from deprived areas to apply for a place at university. For the 2021 admissions cycle, the number of school age applicants from Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas makes up almost 12 per cent of all applicants, a 0.5 percentage point increase on the previous cycle.
Data showing applications to the 29 January deadline 2021 is now available on the UCAS website.
The Scottish Government has published (4 February 2021) its Infrastructure Investment Plan for 2021-22 to 2025-26, alongside the Capital Spending Review. They confirm a five year plan of investment that will support 45,000 jobs and build healthcare, education and local facilities across Scotland.
Three strategic themes will guide investment decisions in Scotland:
- Enabling the transition to net zero emissions and environmental sustainability.
- Driving inclusive economic growth.
- Building resilient and sustainable places and communities.
Included within the Infrastructure Plan is up to £90 million towards the Dunfermline Learning Campus which will bring together Fife College’s current Dunfermline Campus, Woodmill High and St Columba’s High School in a modern, fit for purpose, low carbon facility which it is hoped will be ready by the end of 2024.
The Capital Spending Review also confirms investment of £1,582.1 million in research and knowledge exchange activity across our universities, underpinned by additional capital investment in university research infrastructure.
The further and higher education sectors will also benefit from:
- Investment in digital connectivity through the £600 million Reaching 100% programme.
- £25 million investment to deliver the next five years of the £5 billion City Region and Regional Deals programme.
- The conclusion of £75 million investment in the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland which will stimulate innovation and Scotland’s international attractiveness.
Since the draft Infrastructure Investment Plan was first published in September, the Scottish Government has increased the total spend by £2 billion to further boost economic and green recovery from the pandemic.
New figures published today by the universities admissions service, UCAS, show increasing numbers of students are studying STEM subjects at Scottish universities. The findings form part of UCAS’s end of cycle reporting on 2020-21 university applications.
According to today’s statistics, the biggest increases have been for Biological Sciences (12.8% per cent) and Physical Sciences (10.3 per cent). Other increases for STEM subject groups include a 6.8 per cent increase for Mathematical Sciences, a 3.8 percent increase for Computer Sciences, and a 10% increase for Technologies.
STEM skills are seen as key drivers of innovation and growth and as the basis for Scotland’s global reputation for excellence in the sciences. The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining and developing STEM skills.
Writing in the latest annual report on the Scottish Government’s STEM strategy, Richard Lochhead, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, said: “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM – have never been more relevant than they are today as we face a global climate emergency, and the uncertain future arising from the UK’s exit from the European Union.”
As part of its current Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability, the Scottish Funding Council is looking at future investment in STEM subjects. The Review’s Phase One report states that STEM and related areas such as data science and quantum technology will require graduate and postgraduate skills, and are areas in which Scotland can lead the world.
The full UCAS provider level end of cycle report is now available on the UCAS website.