On Monday 4 November, the Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson announced that tuition fees in England would increase by 3.1% from £9,250 to £9,535 in academic year 2025/26 and there will be an increase in maintenance loans, in line with inflation. Responding to this announcement, a spokesperson from Universities Scotland has said; “England…
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Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review method: QAA consultation
Universities Scotland’s Learning & Teaching Committee wrote a letter to QAA relating to QAA Scotland’s consultation on the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) method. This letter is a collective high-level response has been shared with QAA. Many institutions will also be responding directly with more detailed responses to the questions. The LTC response covers a…
New report shows the extent of universities’ role in driving economic growth in Scotland
New data reveals the economic impact delivered by Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions at £17.1 billion and highlights that Scotland’s higher education sector offers a better economic return on public investment made in research and innovation than anywhere else in the UK, except London, with a benefit-to-cost ratio of nearly 11:1. As the…
Universities Scotland responds to HESA 2023-23 Higher Education Student Statistics
This week, the HESA Higher Education Student Statistics (UK, 2022/23) were published. In response to this a Universities Scotland Spokesperson has said: “The HESA data set it is a snap-shot from almost two-years ago, before we saw sudden fluctuations in international demand and a further year of the threats of more restrictive changes to UK…
Positive news for learners from all backgrounds going to university
The Admissions body UCAS has published its first data release on SQA results day (6 August) showing the number of Scots securing a place at university this autumn for academic year 2024/25. Responding to the results, Claire McPherson, Director of Universities Scotland said: “The number of Scots accepted for study in Scottish institutions has increased…
Scotland united behind no NDAs in harassment cases since 2019
Yesterday, the Office for Students (OfS) announced new requirements for universities in England to protect students from harassment and sexual misconduct. This includes a ban on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), commencing on 1 September 2024. Scotland’s universities have been united behind a position never to use NDAs or “confidentiality clauses” in cases of harassment since 2019….
UK Government outlines position on international students
Last week, the Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson set out the position of the Labour Government on international students. She made it clear that international students are welcome in the UK. We strongly welcome this announcement. International students contribute widely to society and to our communities during their time in the UK. Our…
Response to the next steps on post-school reform: a Scottish Government consultation
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on proposals for legislation to change what public bodies do in the post-school system. This consultation will focus on gathering proposals that aim to simplify the responsibilities for apprenticeships and student support. Following the launch of this consultation, Professor Iain Gillespie, Convener of Universities Scotland said: “Following dialogue…
Universities “relieved” the Graduate Route for international students has been retained
The UK Government has today confirmed that the graduate route will remain in place for international students of all UK universities. The graduate route allows international students to remain in the UK upon graduation for two years (on average) after successful completing a relevant course in the UK. The UK Government had been expected to…
Universities Scotland responds to the Migration Advisory Committee’s report on the Graduate Route for international students
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has today, published its report evaluating the Graduate Route, as part of student immigration, as commissioned by the UK Government earlier this year. The key recommendation, one of six in the report, is that the Graduate Route should be retained in its current form. The MAC was asked to review…