Responding to the Scottish Government’s settlement for university resource and capital budgets for 2026/27, Professor James Miller, Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of the University of the West of Scotland said;
“We recognise the fiscal pressures on the Scottish Government, therefore, a settlement for teaching that sits slightly above inflation is welcome. However, it does not adequately address the sustained financial challenges the sector has faced over recent years. Universities will continue to experience financial pressures, and this budget will have little impact, particularly when it comes to funding for teaching which underpins the student experience and supports jobs in the sector.
“There is better news for university research. An uplift to the university capital budget of £30 million in cash terms is welcome as this is central to the sector’s role in driving economic growth for Scotland. Yet, it is important we point out this fund is not distributed evenly across the sector and so will be of more help to some institutions than others.
“Scotland benefits immensely from having a world-leading university sector which is central to driving economic growth and core to its communities. The need to look beyond year-to-year settlements remains as acute as ever. We have a new, shared process with the Scottish Government to do that, in the Framework announced in December. That must engage with the sector’s financial realities, and it must define a sustainable funding future that allows universities to thrive over the long-term.”
NOTE:
Figures are a year-on-year comparison between 25/26 to 26/27 Budgets, rather than the ABR figure published in today’s supporting documents.