Universities in Scotland have reached a significant milestone in their commitment to widen access, with the latest figures showing 16.4% of students were from SIMD20 backgrounds in the academic year 2019/20. The Commission on Widening Access recommended that 16% of students should be from SIMD20 backgrounds by 2021 with an overall aim to reach 20%…
Tag: Ambition
Students and universities urge Scottish Government to follow Wales on twin-track support package to get through COVID
Scotland’s student and university leaders have joined together to commend the Welsh Government on its twin-track approach to supporting higher education students and institutions through the COVID crisis. This comes on the day that the Welsh Government announces a new package of £40 million available to support students facing financial hardship. The Welsh Government has…
Inconclusive Spending Review makes January budget critical for Scottish HE
The UK Government Spending Review announced on Wednesday (25 November 2020) has made January’s Scottish Government budget a critical event for Scottish higher education. The Scottish block grant will increase by an additional £2.4bn in 2021/22 as a result of core and COVID-19 expenditure. Within UK Government spending priorities, an extra £400 million expenditure per…
Briefing ahead of Ministerial Statement: An Update on the Impact of EU Exit on Scotland’s Further and Higher Education Sectors
On 29 October 2020, the Scottish Parliament heard from the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead MSP about the impact of Brexit on the further and higher education sectors. To help inform MSPs in their questioning of the Minister after the statement, we prepared a briefing focusing on the two main…
Universities Scotland responds to the Scottish Government’s new Inward Investment Plan
Responding to the publication of Shaping Scotland’s Economy, Alastair Sim, Universities Scotland Director, said: “We’re pleased to see the report recognise higher education’s important role in attracting inward investment into Scotland. Bar London, Scotland has been the top performing nation or region of the UK in attracting inward investment for each of the past seven years and…
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee’s inquiry into UK Industrial Strategy
Universities Scotland has responsed to a consultation by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee (BEIS) on the UK’s Industrial Strategy. The inquiry examines key Industrial Strategy issues such as priorities, deliverability and the Grand Challenge missions. The inquiry forms part of the Committee’s overall ‘super-inquiry’ into Post-Pandemic Economic Growth. Our submission highlights universities’ key role…
Update on the impact of COVID-19 on universities for the Education and Skills Committee
Ahead of the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead MSP, giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee on Wednesday 2 September 2020, Universities Scotland provided evidence to update the Committee on the impact of COVID-19 on the university sector. The evidence covers: the implications of the SQA examination…
Universities Scotland response to confirmation of funding from Scottish Government for additional 2020/21 entrants
Today [Friday 21 August], Mr Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, confirmed that the Scottish Government will fund the additional 2020/21 entrants to university for the duration of their four/five year degree. The Minister also helpfully acknowledged that the Scottish Government’s decision to revert to teacher-awarded grades would have implications…
Universities Scotland response to Scottish Funding Council’s Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability
Universities Scotland has submitted a response to the Scottish Funding Council’s Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability. Commissioned by Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, the Review considers how best SFC can fulfil its mission of securing coherent provision by post-16 education bodies, and the undertaking of research, in the…