by Claire Vekic, Policy Officer, Colleges Scotland

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has published its annual report on Widening Access today.  The report highlights the significant role that Scotland’s colleges play in offering individuals opportunities for progression and pathways into university. 

In 2022-23, 16.3% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants were from the 20% most deprived areas, which a very slight decrease previous year. Given the Commission on Widening Access has an interim target of 18% for this metric by 2026, this number will be carefully monitored.  

However, SFC note that early indications from UCAS undergraduate admissions data suggest this proportion from the most deprived areas is likely to increase for 2023-24 entrants, which is welcome.

The report also highlights that the number of care-experienced students continues to rise.  In the college sector, 4.0% of enrolments to full-time HE courses and 10.1% of enrolments to full-time FE courses in 2022-23 were care-experienced individuals, which is a record high. 

Of those who successfully qualified from college courses in 2021-22, 92.4% of care experienced leavers from full-time HE courses and 90.8% from full-time FE courses with known destinations were in work or further study 3-6 months after qualifying. 
The figures above clearly highlight the continuing impact of colleges in giving people of all ages and backgrounds opportunities to improve their life chances and career prospects.

We know of the significant role that Scotland’s colleges play in offering individuals opportunities for progression and pathways into university.  Unfortunately, due to a delay in the datasets on articulation, there are not currently figures available for us to comment on.  These figures are due to follow in December 2024 and we look forward to these being published and reflecting further.

This report is particularly relevant in the wider policy discussion between Scotland’s colleges and the Commissioner for Fair Access, Professor John McKendrick, who published his annual report at the end of January 2024.  

One of the Commissioner’s recommendations is that the Scottish Government consider strengthening the remit of that office, to assume responsibility for advising on fair access to the whole of tertiary education.

The college sector supports the Commissioner’s recommendation, as colleges make a key contribution to the fair access agenda.  We recognise the impact on learners without the recommendation being implemented, the benefit of an increased focus on part-time learning and the role in continuing need to raise the profile and value of further education. 

We are looking forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Commissioner and the sector to boost the role of colleges in contributing to the fair access agenda.