Education, Children and Young People Committee
Budget 2025 to 2026
Background
Each year, the Committee looks at how the Scottish Government spends money on education, children and young people. The Committee focuses this budget-related work on the impact of spending on the delivery of outcomes.
This year, the Committee has agreed to focus on college and university funding and will look at the current funding settlement. The Committee will also consider the sustainability of funding in the years ahead, taking into account the impact of tightening public spending and potential upcoming reforms.
University funding
The Committee will explore the financial sustainability of universities, looking at:
- the current funding settlement
- considerations around longer-term sustainability
- the social and economic impact of sector funding
Recent reports exploring university funding will form part of this scrutiny, including:
- the Scottish Funding Council report on the financial sustainability of universities in Scotland 2020-21 to 2024-25
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies report on higher education spending in Scotland
- London Economics’ comparative study of higher education funding across the UK
College funding
The Committee will explore the financial sustainability of colleges, looking at:
- the current funding settlement
- longer-term sustainability
- the social and economic impact of sector funding
The Committee intends to consider recent reports as part of its scrutiny of college funding, including:
- Fraser of Allander Institute report on the economic contribution of colleges in Scotland
- Audit Scotland briefing paper on Scotland’s colleges 2023
Find out more about the Committee’s scrutiny of colleges and universities in previous years.
The Committee will report its findings to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and the relevant Ministers before the Scottish Budget is published.