To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the money allocated to the Higher Education (HE) Coronavirus Discretionary Fund is used to support students experiencing hardship.

Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 March 2021

Guidance has been issued to colleges and universities to support the administration of the £22 million HE Coronavirus Discretionary Fund. This document complements the main Discretionary Fund guidance which is produced and provided each year by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). A copy of the Coronavirus Discretionary Fund guidance can be found at: https://www.saas.gov.uk/files/499/saas-coronavirus-discretionary-fund.pdf

In addition, information on Discretionary Funds is available through the Student Information Scotland ( www.studentinformation.gov.scot ) and SAAS ( www.saas.gov.uk ) websites respectively.