Student Finance and Wellbeing Study (SFWS) Scotland 2023-2024: main report

References and notes

Department for Education and Skills (2005) Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2004/05, https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/6383/1/RR725.pdf

Department for Education (2023) Student income and expenditure survey: 2021 to 2022, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-income-and-expenditure-survey-2021-to-2022

Scottish Government (2009) Higher and further education students' income, expenditure and debt in Scotland 2007-08,

https://lx.iriss.org.uk/content/higher-and-further-education-students-income-expenditure-and-debt-scotland-2007-08.html

Interactive Framework - Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (scqf.org.uk)

SFC (2024) College Statistics 2022-23, https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/college-statistics-2022-23/

SFC (2023) Report on Widening Access 2021-2022, https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/sfcst052023/

SFC (2024) Report on Widening Access 2022-2023, https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/report-on-widening-access-2022-23/

Ibid.

Not all HN/undergraduate tuition fees are covered by SAAS as different modes of study (i.e. full-time or part-time) define the level of support a Scottish-domiciled student can access.

See https://www.saas.gov.uk/part-time/undergraduate-funding/ptfg. To be eligible for tuition fee support (through the PTFG) from SAAS, a part-time student must meet the following eligibility criteria: study an eligible course; meet residence criteria; earn less than £25,000 per year in gross income (before tax and National Insurance) in the tax year ending 5 April 2024, including bonuses and overtime; have left full-time compulsory education, such as high school. The maximum grant a student can receive from SAAS (through the PTFG) for studying a part-time degree level course is £1,805. The maximum PTFG a part-time student studying an HNC/HND can receive from SAAS is £1,274. SAAS have developed a Part-time Fee Grant Calculator which provides an idea of the maximum fee amount that SAAS will pay depending on the level of study and the number of credits of the course.

Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance, Cubie, A. (1999) Student Finance: Fairness for the Future Report, Edinburgh: Scottish Executive

Macpherson, S. (2019) The price of free tuition in Scotland, SPICe Spotlight, December 18 2019 (accessed 22 May 2024), The Scottish Parliament Information Centre: Edinburgh, https://spice-spotlight.scot/2019/12/18/the-price-of-free-tuition-in-scotland/

Scottish National Party (2007) SNP Manifesto 2007 https://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2007/04/12/SNPManifestoprogramme.pdf

Browne, J. (2010) Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education: An Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance (Browne Review)

Office for Students (n.d.) Value for money as a student, see https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students/student-finance/value-for-money-as-a-student/fees-and-other-costs/

NI Direct Government Services (n.d.) Tuition fees, see https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/tuition-fees

Scottish Funding Council (SFC) (2023) National Policy for FE Bursaries AY 2023-24, see https://www.sfc.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/uploadedFiles/National_Policy_for_FE_Bursaries_AY_2023-24.pdf

Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) (2023) Policy Changes 2023-2024, see https://www.saas.gov.uk/files/702/saas-policy-changes-2023-2024.pdf

Ibid.

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report; NUS Scotland (2023) The Cost of Survival, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/the_cost_of_survival; Scottish Government (2018); Student financial support in Scotland: independent review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Student Loans Company (SLC) (2023a) UK comparisons – to financial year 2024: Outstanding income contingent student loans balance, see https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-comparisons-to-financial-year-2024/uk-comparisons-to-financial-year-2024

Blackburn, L. (2023) The fairest of them all? Comparing the reproduction of inequality in student funding in Scotland and Wales, PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh, https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/40389?show=full

Minty, S. (2015) Young people's attitudes towards tuition fees and debt in Scotland and England, Paper presented as part of a symposium, Higher education in Scotland and the UK: Diverging or converging systems? British Educational Research Association Conference, Queen's University Belfast, 16 September 2015, see https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/21642052/55_i_d_BERA2015_Minty_Paper.pdf

Minty, S. (2021) Where to study and where to live? Young people's higher education decisions in Scotland and the role of family, finance and region, PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh, https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/38511

SLC (2023b) Income contingent student loan repayment plans & interest rates and calculations (Scotland), see https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-scotland-2022-to-2023/income-contingent-student-loan-repayment-plans-interest-rates-and-calculations-scotland

House of Commons Library (2023) Student loan statistics, Research Briefing. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01079/#:~:text=Student%20loan%20interest%20rates%20in,now%20be%20reviewed%20every%20month

NUS Scotland (2010) Still in the Red.

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report

Scottish Government (2022) Student experiences of financial support in summer 2021: insights, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/insights-student-experiences-financial-support-summer-2021-results-online-survey/documents/

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report

Ibid.

NUS Scotland (2023) The cost of survival, available at: https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/the_cost_of_survival

Howieson, C. and Minty, S. (2019) Centre for Educational Sociology Briefing: Supporting widening participation students at university. 67. University of Edinburgh. Available at: https://www.ces.ed.ac.uk/PDF%20Files/Brief067.pdf; Minty, S. and Vertigans, S. (2021) Accessing Robert Gordon University: The experiences of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Robert Gordon University. Available at: https://www.fairaccess.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Accessing-RGU_FINAL-report.pdf.)

Office for National Statistics (2023) Cost of living and higher education students, England: 30 January to 13 February 2023. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/educationandchildcare/bulletins/costoflivingandhighereducationstudentsengland/30januaryto13february2023 (Accessed: 17 January 2024).

Save The Student (2023 Student Money Survey 2023 – Results - Save the Student. Available at: https://www.savethestudent.org/money/surveys/student-money-survey-2023-results.html (Accessed: 17 January 2024); NUS Scotland (2023) The cost of Survival, https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/the_cost_of_survival

Royal Bank of Scotland (2023) Student Living Index 2023. Available at: https://www.rbs.co.uk/life-moments/students-and-graduates/student-living-index.html (Accessed: 17 January 2024).

NUS & Unipol (2021) Accommodation Costs Survey 2021. Available at: https://melresearch.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Unipol-Student-AccommodationCostSurvey_2021-research-housing.pdf.

Royal Bank of Scotland (2023) Student Living Index 2023. Available at: https://www.rbs.co.uk/life-moments/students-and-graduates/student-living-index.html (Accessed: 17 January 2024).

Donnelly, M. & Gamsu, S. (2018a) Home and away: social, ethnic and spatial inequalities in student mobility, London: Sutton Trust, https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Home_and_away_FINAL.pdf

Riddel, S., Cattell, L., Christie, H., King, R., Shan, S. & Tett, L. (2023) Living and Studying at

Home: Commuter Students in the Aftermath of the Pandemic, Edinburgh: University of

Edinburgh; Minty, S. (2021) Where to study and where to live? Young people's higher education decisions in Scotland and the role of family, finance and region, PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh, https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/38511

Costa, C. et al. (2020) 'Estranged students in higher education: navigating social and economic capitals', Cambridge Journal of Education, 50(1), pp. 107–123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2019.1648639; Bland, B. (2018) 'It's All About The Money: The Influence Of Family Estrangement, Accommodation Struggles and Homelessness On Student Success in UK Higher Education', Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 20(3), pp. 68–89. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5456/WPLL.20.3.68; ScotCen, 2022.

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report

Maguire, C. et al. (2022) Thriving Learners: Initial findings from Scottish Colleges. Mental Health Foundation. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/MHF_Thriving_Learners_Executive-Summary.pdf; Maguire, C. and Cameron, J. (2022) Thriving Learners: Initial Findings from Scottish HEIs. Mental Health Foundation. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/MHF-Thriving-Learners-Report-Executive-Summary.pdf

NUS Scotland (2023) The cost of survival, available at: https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/the_cost_of_survival

Ibid.; NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at: https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report

ScotCen (2022) Research to understand the experiences of estranged students in further and higher education in Scotland, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/research-understand-experiences-estranged-students-further-fe-higher-education-scotland/; Minty, S. and Vertigans, S. (2021) Accessing Robert Gordon University: The experiences of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Robert Gordon University. Available at: https://www.fairaccess.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Accessing-RGU_FINAL-report.pdf; Taylor, Y. and Costa, C. (2019) Estranged Students in Higher and Further Education: Illustrating the Issues. University of Strathclyde. Available at: https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/87691241/Taylor_etal_2019_Estranged_Students_Ilustrating_the_Issues.pdf; Costa, C. et al. (2020) 'Estranged students in higher education: navigating social and economic capitals', Cambridge Journal of Education, 50(1), pp. 107–123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2019.1648639.

The Carers Trust (2020) The Student Carer Experience in Scotland - Resources - Carers Trust

Scottish Government (2017) Student financial support in Scotland: independent review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Government (2019) Student funding in further education - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

ScotCen (2022) Research to understand the experiences of estranged students in further and higher education in Scotland, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/research-understand-experiences-estranged-students-further-fe-higher-education-scotland

SAAS (2021) Review of disability related student support: summary report, https://www.saas.gov.uk/files/676/saas-disability-related-student-support-summary-report.pdf

Scottish Government (2021) A Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/fairer-greener-scotland-programme-government-2021-22/

SAAS (n.d.) Special support loan, https://www.saas.gov.uk/need-to-know/special-support-loan-element

The last time this research was undertaken in Scotland was in 2007-2008, see Scottish Government (2009) Higher and Further Education Students' Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2007-08, available at: https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/35590907/0083207.pdf

There is missing data for one respondent on whether they study full-time or part-time.

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at: https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report

Part-time is defined as: For HE students – those studying at least 25% FTE or 30 or more credit points in the academic year up to 119 credits. For FE students – those studying 160 hours plus (160 hours - 320 hours, and 320 hours up to full time) / 4 credits as a minimum threshold for part-time activity on a recognised FE qualification (or sometimes known as substantial part-time FE courses).

Joint financial responsibility was defined as either regularly sharing the costs of housing or other essential expenditure with a partner. The adjustment procedure was to divide joint income by two. This was used in calculations of benefit income and share of partners' income (which feeds into income from family). Full details are provided in the technical report.

A Scottish-domiciled student studying at a Scottish university would be charged £1,820 and a college student would be charged £1,285.

Median income from discretionary funding figures for FE students should be treated with caution due to the low base (N=37). Median income from discretionary funding for postgraduate students are not reported due to the low base (N=17).

At the time of the research the interest rate for Scottish students was 6.25%.

This will be replaced in Scotland nationally from November 2024 by the Carer Support Payment. https://www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment

This finding is marginally significant (p=0.051).

The base for this question was 45, so these findings should be treated with caution.

The figures for students from the 20% most deprived areas and 80% least deprived areas should be treated with caution due to the small base sizes (N=31 and 63, respectively).

These figures must be treated with caution due to the low base sizes (N=46 for postgraduate students from the 20% most deprived areas, N=46 for postgraduate students living with parents).

These figures should be treated with caution due to the small base sizes (N=39 for those from the 20% most deprived areas, N=265 for those from the 80% least deprived areas).

Due to the small base sizes, these figures should be treated with caution (n=50 for 20% most deprived, n=118 for 80% least deprived).

These figures should be treated with caution due to low base sizes (N=30 for those living with parents, N=229 for those living independently (renting or with a mortgage).

Joint financial responsibility was defined as either regularly sharing the costs of housing or other essential expenditure with a partner. The adjustment procedure was to divide joint expenditure by two. Full details are provided in the technical report.

The figures for students from the 20% most deprived areas and 80% least deprived areas should be treated with caution due to the small base sizes (N=42 and 283, respectively).

Students were asked about 5 different types of borrowing: commercial credit, bank overdrafts, arrears on household bills, student loans from the Student Loans Company, and any repayable element of discretionary funding.

It should be noted that the amount for full-time students includes any student loans, whereas part-time students are not entitled to student loans for living expenses.

Student loans are available to Masters and PG Diploma students but not to PhD students.

The figures for postgraduate students aged 20 to 24 with any borrowings should be treated with caution due to the small base size (n=36).

The figures for postgraduate students from the 20% most deprived areas should be treated with caution due to the small base size (n=48).

The figures for students from the 20% most deprived areas should be treated with caution due to the small base size (N=48).

This difference between female and male students from under-represented groups was not statistically significant.

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.058).

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.052).

The difference by area deprivation is marginally significant (p=0.072).

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.065).

https://www.scarf.org.uk/

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.082).

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.070).

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.095).

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.052).

This difference is marginally significant, p=0.07.

This difference is marginally significant, p=0.065.

This difference is marginally significant (p=0.061).

Since this research was conducted, some changes have been made to student funding in Scotland. These include: the introduction of the option to have payments spread over 12 months to help with finances over the summer; and the introduction of special support loans for 2024-2025 which will provide a £2,400 increase to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students' annual support package. Further information can be found here https://www.saas.gov.uk/need-to-know/special-support-loan-element

A new Carer Support Payment will be introduced in November 2024 and will be available to most full-time students.

See National Policy for FE Student Support Bursaries 2024-25 https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/national-policy-for-fe-student-support-bursaries-2024-25/ for full details of the 'Student Engagement' in relation to Bursary payments covered in the Fund Management and Audit Information Guidance between paragraph 41 and 55.

NUS Scotland (2023) Cost of Survival, available at: https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/the_cost_of_survival

Trussell Trust (2023) Hunger in the UK, available at: https://www.trussell.org.uk/publications/hunger-in-the-uk

Save The Student (2023) Student Money Survey 2023 – Results. Available at: https://www.savethestudent.org/money/surveys/student-money-survey-2023-results.html; NUS Scotland (2023) Cost of Survival, https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/the_cost_of_survival

ScotCen (2022) Research to understand the experiences of estranged students in further and higher education in Scotland, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/research-understand-experiences-estranged-students-further-fe-higher-education-scotland/; Minty, S. and Vertigans, S. (2021) Accessing Robert Gordon University: The experiences of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Robert Gordon University. Available at: https://www.fairaccess.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Accessing-RGU_FINAL-report.pdf; Costa, C. et al. (2020) 'Estranged students in higher education: navigating social and economic capitals', Cambridge Journal of Education, 50(1), pp. 107–123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2019.1648639.

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report

Minty, S. (2021) (2021) Where to study and where to live? Young people's higher education decisions in Scotland and the role of family, finance and region, PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh, https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/38511; Christie, H. and Monroe, M. (2003) 'The Logic of Loans: students' perceptions of the costs and benefits of the student loan', British Journal of Sociology of Education, 24(5), pp. 621–636. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142569032000127170

Taylor, Y. and Costa, C. (2019) Estranged Students in Higher and Further Education: Illustrating the Issues. University of Strathclyde. Available at: https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/87691241/Taylor_etal_2019_Estranged_Students_Ilustrating_the_Issues.pdf; ScotCen (2022) Research to understand the experiences of estranged students in further and higher education in Scotland, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/research-understand-experiences-estranged-students-further-fe-higher-education-scotland/; Minty, S. and Vertigans, S. (2021) Accessing Robert Gordon University: The experiences of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Robert Gordon University. Available at: https://www.fairaccess.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Accessing-RGU_FINAL-report.pdf

ScotCen (2022) Research to understand the experiences of estranged students in further and higher education in Scotland, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/research-understand-experiences-estranged-students-further-fe-higher-education-scotland/

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report; NUS Scotland (2023) Mind the gap, https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/public_transport_report

SAAS (2024) https://www.saas.gov.uk/news/increasing-financial-support-for-scottish-students

NatCen (2023) student income and expenditure survey: 2021 to 2022, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-income-and-expenditure-survey-2021-to-2022

Scottish Government (2009) Higher and further education students' income, expenditure and debt in Scotland 2007-08, https://lx.iriss.org.uk/content/higher-and-further-education-students-income-expenditure-and-debt-scotland-2007-08.html

https://www.studentinformation.gov.scot/students/student-life/studying-and-working

ScotCen (2022) Research to understand the experiences of estranged students in further and higher education in Scotland, available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/research-understand-experiences-estranged-students-further-fe-higher-education-scotland/

NUS Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students, available at https://www.nus-scotland.org.uk/broke_report

Ibid.

Save the Student (2022) Student Money Survey 2022 – Results, https://www.savethestudent.org/money/surveys/student-money-survey-2022-results.html

Mental Health Foundation Scotland (2021) Thriving Learners: Initial findings from Scottish HEIs (2021), https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/MHF-Thriving-Learners-Report-Full.pdf

Mental Health Foundation Scotland (2022) Thriving Learners: Initial findings from Scottish colleges (2022), https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/MHF_Thriving_Learners_Report.pdf

Scottish Funding Council (2024) Report on Widening Access 2022-23, available at: Report on Widening Access 2022-23 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)