Question reference: S4W-25162
- Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 20 April 2015
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 May 2015
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported £7 million shortfall in student support funding.
Answer
With the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), we have agreed with colleges that the estimated shortfall in further education (FE) student support will be met in 2014-15 through the redirection of funds previously earmarked for depreciation.
We are working closely with the SFC, Colleges Scotland and the sector to develop a way forward for 2015-16 which will ensure that students are supported. This work will build on the SFC’s recent review of FE student support.
In the first instance, SFC will ensure that student support allocations for 2015-16 are more closely aligned to actual need based on the results of last year’s redistribution exercise.