The details in the following table show the amount of loans paid by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to meet the cost of tuition fees in other parts of the UK:

(Source: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland)

The Post 16 Education Reform Programme has simplified the student support system, making it easier for student to understand and maximise their entitlement. The new student support package introduced in 2013-14 standardised the level of living cost support irrespective of where in the UK a Scottish domiciled student studies.

Education Scotland, through the Senior Education Officer (SEO) team, has opened up a dialogue with the Open University (OU) in relation to massive open online courses (MOOCS).

They are exploring how we can promote the Young Applicants in Schools scheme, which involves young people in schools following OU courses which are largely online.

SEOs are meeting with Open University representatives in January 2014 to further explore the development and use of MOOCs in Science.

Discussions are also taking place with the OU around how best to ensure uptake of future learn courses by practitioners and pupils and how to make use of OpenLearn materials.

Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) operates separate support schemes for students in full time higher education and those in part-time education. Different funding arrangements apply.

a) SAAS only hold information on the total number of independent full-time students. It is not possible to identify the total number of independent part-time students.

b) In 2012-13, 7410 full-time students at a further education college were funded by SAAS that were classed as ‘independent’.

The average loan authorised by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for young students with a household income below £30,000 was £3,425 in the academic year 2012-13.

It is not possible to include students ‘exempt from contributions’ as they are considered ‘independent’ and not ‘young’ for the purposes of student support.

The minutes of the meeting of the Council of Economic Advisers on 30 August 2013, where the issue of the economic and social impacts of improving childcare provision in Scotland was discussed, are available on the Scottish Government’s website at the following address:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/Meetings

The analysis informing the Council of Economic Advisers’ deliberations will be reflected in the annual chair’s report of the Council of Economic Advisers. It is anticipated that the chair’s report will be published in Spring 2014.

A young person leaving care is assessed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland as an independent student.

Students who have been in care and are under 23 at the start of each academic year are eligible to apply for a Young Students’ Bursary. Those over 23 at the start of each academic year are eligible to apply for the Independent Students’ Bursary.

Scottish Government policy states that it is essential that young people have access to sexual health services, advice and information when they require it. It does not prescribe the format that these services should take or whether these services should be provided in a clinical or non-clinical setting.

The decision on how sexual health services are provided and the most appropriate setting for young people to access these services is a decision for NHS boards and local authorities based on local requirements and following scoping of local needs.

Education Scotland has policy responsibility for adult learning. This includes the Adult Literacies in Scotland 2020 Strategic Guidance and the strategy for English for Speakers of Other Languages. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has recently established and chairs a national strategic forum for adult learning. The forum is currently working with partners to develop a statement of ambition for adult learning in Scotland. Education Scotland’s Community Learning and Development team supports the forum and leads a range of initiatives to help improve life chances for people of all ages, through learning, personal development and active citizenship. The team links with national partners through nine strategic funding partnerships and administers small grants to a range of adult learning providers to directly enhance learning opportunities across the country.

The certificate in co-operative studies is a customised award that SQA certificates and quality assures, but that is privately owned and developed.

The award is available at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 although only levels 4 and 5 are currently being delivered. There are 18 candidates currently entered for the award across these levels. The candidates are all in a single centre in Dundee City.

As these awards are privately owned and developed, SQA does not actively promote them. It is up to the owner of the qualification to promote them if they wish to do so.