Progressing post-school reform
Delivery of funding and student support.
A consultation on simplifying funding for universities, colleges and apprenticeships, as well as student support, has opened for views.
Currently, funding is provided by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
In December, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Graeme Dey, announced this will be streamlined to help enhance support for young people as part of the ongoing reform programme across the sector.
Today, two options for change have been set out:
- one would see all student support funding delivered through SAAS, including responsibility for further education student support which is currently with colleges and SFC. Responsibility for national training programmes, including apprenticeships, would move to SFC and away from SDS.
- the other option would see the SFC become the single funding body responsible for student support funding, as well as funding for all national training programmes, including apprenticeships – effectively creating a single funding body for post-school education, research and skills
Work will now be taken forward in consultation with the bodies affected and wider stakeholders, with changes expected for the 2026-27 academic year.
Mr Dey said:
“More than £3 billion a year is invested across Scotland’s post-school system. This enables around 500,000 people in any given year to pursue opportunities at colleges and universities, with free tuition benefiting 120,000 students.
“Over the past decade the funding system has become increasingly fragmented with multiple bodies involved in different aspects of provision.
“We are facing the most challenging public spending climate since devolution, and it is vital that investment delivers the greatest impact to support learners. To do that, we must reduce complexities and the options being set out today are an important step towards this.”
Background
Options for the simplification of the post-school funding body landscape.
Ministers will make a final decision on the way forward following an analysis of all the evidence collected through the consultation and through the working groups established to consider the costs and deliverability of the two options.
Ministers intend to legislate so that the law is changed before the end of this Parliamentary session in March 2026.
Student support covers student support such as bursaries, loans, tuition fees.
The Further and Higher Education Minister set out his intentions for change in the sector in December.
Adhartas le ath-leasachadh air foghlam is ionnsachadh iar-sgoile
Mar a thathar a’ toirt maoineachadh seachad agus taic do dh’oileanaich.
Tha co-chomhairleachadh air tòiseachadh air mar a ghabhas an siostam maoineachaidh airson oilthighean, cholaistean is phreantasachdan, agus an siostam airson taic do dh’oileanaich, a dhèanamh nas sìmplidh.
An-dràsta tha maoineachadh air a thoirt seachad le Leasachadh Sgilean na h-Alba (LSA), Buidheann Tabhartais Oileanach na h-Alba (SAAS), agus Comhairle Maoineachaidh na h-Alba (SFC).
San Dùbhlachd, dh’innis am Ministear airson Foghlam Àrd-ìre is Adhartach, Graeme Dey, gun deigheadh siostam na b’ èifeachdaiche a stèidheachadh gus am faigheadh daoine òga taic nas fheàrr mar phàirt de dh’ath-leasachadh leantainneach a tha ga chur an sàs air feadh na roinne.
Le toiseach a’ cho-chomhairleachaidh an-diugh, chaidh dà roghainn fhoillseachadh:
- le aon roghainn bhiodh an taic-mhaoineachaidh uile airson oileanaich air a toirt seachad leis an SAAS, agus mar phàirt de sin bhiodh an SAAS a’ gabhail uallach os làimh airson taic do dh’oileanaich ann am foghlam adhartach, agus an t-uallach sin an-dràsta air colaistean agus an SFC. Dheigheadh na h-uallaichean airson phrògraman trèanaidh nàiseanta, a’ gabhail a-steach phreantasachdan, a ghluasad bho LSA chun an SFC.
- leis an roghainn eile, bhiodh an SFC mar an aon bhuidheann le uallach airson taic-mhaoineachaidh do dh’oileanaich, agus airson maoineachadh do gach prògram trèanaidh nàiseanta, a’ gabhail a-steach phreantasachdan – le seo bhiodh dìreach aon bhuidheann mhaoineachaidh ann airson foghlam, rannsachadh is sgilean iar-sgoile.
Bithear a-nis a’ coimhead air mar a ghabhas ath-leasachadh a chur an sàs tro cho-chomhairleachadh leis na buidhnean air an toir seo buaidh agus le luchd-ùidhe eile, le dùil ann gun tèid atharraichean a chur an sàs sa bhliadhna acadaimigich 2026-27.
Thuirt Mgr Dey:
“Bithear a’ cosg còrr is £3 billean air siostam iar-sgoile na h-Alba gach bliadhna. Mar thoradh air sin, bidh mu 500,000 neach a’ faighinn cothrom gach bliadhna gus ionnsachadh ann an colaistean is oilthighean, agus tha 120,000 oileanach ann gach bliadhna nach fheum cìsean ionnsachaidh a phàigheadh.
“Thar nan deich bliadhna a dh’fhalbh, tha an siostam maoineachaidh air sìor fhàs nas neo-aonaichte le grunn bhuidhnean an sàs ann an diofar phàirtean dheth.
“Tha an suidheachadh sa bheil sinn a thaobh maoineachadh poblach cho dùbhlanach 's a tha e air bhith bho thòisich fèin-riaghladh, agus tha e riatanach gun dèanar làn-fheum dhen mhaoineachadh sin gus an taic as motha as urrainnear a thoirt do luchd-ionnsachaidh. Gus dèanamh cinnteach gun tachair sin, feumaidh sinn cùisean a dhèanamh nas sìmplidh agus tha na roghainnean a chaidh fhoillseachadh an-diugh mar cheum cudromach a dh’ionnsaigh an amais sin.”
Bun-fhiosrachadh
Roghainnean gus siostam nam buidhnean maoineachaidh iar-sgoile a dhèanamh nas sìmplidh.
Nì Ministearan co-dhùnadh air an ath-cheum às dèidh mion-sgrùdadh a thèid a dhèanamh air an fhianais a thèid a chruinneachadh sa cho-chomhairleachadh agus sna buidhnean-obrach a chaidh a stèidheachadh gus beachdachadh air cosgaisean an dà roghainn agus mar a ghabhadh an dà roghainn a chur an gnìomh.
Tha Ministearan an dùil reachdas a thoirt a-steach gus an lagh atharrachadh ro dheireadh seisean na Pàrlamaid seo sa Mhàrt 2026.
Tha taic do dh’oileanaich a’ gabhail a-steach bhursaraidhean, iasadan, agus a’ pàigheadh airson chìsean ionnsachaidh.
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