This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Twenty year first for core funding package
22/03/2001
Today, Wendy Alexander, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, welcomed more than £50million additional funding for Scottish Higher Education institutions. For the first time since the early 1980's this includes a 4% increase in core funding for teaching and research.
The additional cash for institutions was allocated today by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council as part of the funding package for the new academic year beginning this Autumn.
Ms Alexander said:
'Since the early 1980s, institutions have suffered real term reductions while increasing their numbers of students. The Executive has made a commitment to investment in education. For the first time in almost 20 years, these institutions will see a 4% increase in their core funding allocation.
'For the first time funding has been specifically earmarked for the purpose of widening access. £18 million over 3 years will help to create the level playing field that has been missing in the past.'
Earmarked access funding will be spent in three main areas to provide:
- An additional 800 places targeted at under-represented groups
Overall 2,800 new HE places will be created in this Parliament.
- A premium payment to recognise the actual cost of recruiting, supporting and retaining students from non-traditional backgrounds. Initially this will be based on a five per cent on the funding package based on posted code areas; and,
- The New Access Partnership to encourage institutions to work with the private sector to develop initiatives to support the widening access agenda.
Wendy Alexander said:
'With an additional £108 million over three years we have provided the headroom needed to support the sector in making a start on tackling issues of modernisation such as management and leadership, progressive human resource policies and maintaining the quality of teaching and learning.'
BACKGROUND
- The allocation of the funding provided to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council by the Scottish Executive is a matter for the Council. Ministers are specifically precluded from directing the Council as to how much and to which institutions it allocates funding. The mechanisms for distributing funds are under review by the Council, which has been consulting on these.
- The Scottish Executive allocates funds to SHEFC on a financial year basis while SHEFC allocates out its funds on an academic year basis. Executive funding for FY2000-01 was £609m while for FY2001-02 this has risen to £679m. This is made up of the £660 million announced in the SR2000 settlement, plus additional funding for OU places in Scotland and in anticipation of designation of the UHI Millennium Institute, the order for which is currently before Parliament.
- The additional £108 million funding was announced in November 2000 representing a 14 per cent increase in funding for HEIs over the next three years.
News Release: SE0765/2001
22 Mar 2001