Ministers accused of ‘forgetting’ students in row over Budget education funding

Students claim to have been “forgotten” by the Scottish Government as Finance Secretary Shona Robison was accused of making real-terms cash cuts to colleges and universities.

The National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland hit out as Labour challenged Ms Robison, saying she had made a “dodgy claim” on funding for the sector in the Budget.

Announcing her tax and spending plans for 2025-26 earlier this week, Ms Robison told MSPs the Government will “increase total investment in higher education by 3.5%”.

However Universities Scotland insisted the “overall resource budget for universities is not rising by 3.5%”, claiming the Budget “represents a 0.7% real-terms cut in HE (higher education) resource”.

Colleges Scotland said ministers had promised “less than half of the £25 million required to address rising inflationary costs” – adding this will leave Scotland’s 24 colleges “struggling with a persistent 17% real-terms funding cut since 2021-22”.

NUS Scotland president Sai Shraddha S Viswanathan said: “Students deserve better than to be forgotten. Students are being treated as an afterthought in this Budget.

“Despite rhetoric of record education funding, in real-terms universities have seen a 0.7% cut and colleges a 1.4% cut.

“Politicians should be aware that when it comes to election time, students won’t support them if they don’t support us and bring robust, positive changes to the table – we deserve better than to be forgotten.”

Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said the Finance Secretary must come to Holyrood and “explain the source of this dodgy claim” on higher education funding, or alternatively correct the Scottish Parliament record.

Ms Duncan-Glancy said: “It’s been mere days since the SNP set out its Budget but questions are already piling up about their sums.

“The Finance Secretary must come to the chamber and either explain the source of this dodgy claim or correct the record.”

The Labour MSP insisted that “Scotland’s world-class universities are under a huge amount of pressure”, adding that as a result, “they need a fair deal in this Budget”.

Challenging the Scottish Government, she added: “The SNP must drop the spin and come clean about what its Budget really means for Scotland’s universities.”

Minister for Higher and Further Education Graeme Dey MSP said: “It is incorrect to suggest the Scottish Government has cut investment in higher education in this Budget. Funding for universities will increase by 3.5%, or around £27 million, which surpasses the 3.1% tuition fee increase in England which is landing students with more debt.

“For colleges, we are boosting funding to over £656 million and providing financial support for college lecturer pay and pensions. We recognise the challenges facing both colleges and universities and are determined to work together with the sector on its financial sustainability.

“This Budget also prioritises measures to support students during this cost-of-living crisis, including ensuring low-income students remain eligible for up to £11,400 of support.”