26 February 2026
Scotland’s post-16 funding squeeze
The Fraser of Allender Institute at the University of Strathclyde has published a report Setting the scene: Scotland on the eve of the 2026 election. This highlights how during the 5-year term of the current Scottish Government real terms spending on post-16 education, channelled through Scottish Funding Council and Student Awards Agency for Scotland has progressively decreased.
This has been felt most keenly by Scotland’s universities which have experienced a 17% real terms cut, compared to an 8% cut in the college sector. Current plans are likely to see a further 10% reduction in real terms but the report suggests there is a consensus across the political spectrum that the current funding position is not sustainable. However, it is not clear if the major parties will be willing to commit to addressing this difficult issue in their manifestos.
In the HE sector a new steering group has been created to address this issue. The fifteen-person Future Framework steering group is a holistic review of university funding and is backed by Scottish Government and Universities Scotland. The steering group will be the decision-making body for the Framework, presenting options to Government and Parliament in late autumn.
This has been felt most keenly by Scotland’s universities which have experienced a 17% real terms cut, compared to an 8% cut in the college sector. Current plans are likely to see a further 10% reduction in real terms but the report suggests there is a consensus across the political spectrum that the current funding position is not sustainable. However, it is not clear if the major parties will be willing to commit to addressing this difficult issue in their manifestos.
In the HE sector a new steering group has been created to address this issue. The fifteen-person Future Framework steering group is a holistic review of university funding and is backed by Scottish Government and Universities Scotland. The steering group will be the decision-making body for the Framework, presenting options to Government and Parliament in late autumn.
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