The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will conclude its work in March 2026 ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election. While it will continue to meet, the Committee has agreed it will not consider petitions submitted after 10 October. This is to ensure all petitions currently in the system can be considered before the next Scottish Parliament election. It is also unlikely that the Committee would be able to schedule and meaningfully progress petitions submitted after 10 October before the election. Contact the Committee team at petitions.committee@parliament.scot for more information about the petitions process.
If you are seeking emergency action or an urgent policy change please contact one of your 8 MSPs or the Scottish Government directly
Under consideration PE2200: Provide a sustainable funding model for Scotland’s colleges
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to:
• develop, publish, and adopt a multi-year funding settlement for Scotland’s colleges (e.g. 3–5 years), rather than rely on annual decisions
• commit to funding that, at minimum, rises in line with inflation, to prevent real-term erosion of college budgets
• deliver a substantive above inflation funding settlement within the 2026/27 Scottish budget that places all colleges in a financially secure position
• provide safety-net baselines for the provision for additional support needs, core student support services and regional or local community access programmes
• require the Scottish Funding Council to give colleges clearer forward figures and simpler in-year rules, to allow planning flexibility for staffing, curriculum, capital investment and community partnership activities, above the three key baselines set out above.
Background information
Scotland’s colleges are vital for education, skills and community development. They provide opportunities for young people, adult learners and employers while boosting local economies. Dundee & Angus College, with over 18,000 students, is a strong example. An economic report shows its redevelopment could generate £1.8bn for the region, including £130m during construction, alongside increased activity for local businesses Dundee Culture – Economic Impact Report. Despite these benefits, the current funding model for Further Education is unsustainable.
Recent funding decisions have resulted in:
• curriculum closures (including essential community access routes),
• nursery closures on college campuses,
• significant staff reductions,
• reduced apprenticeship capacity,
• removal of local sports/coaching provision,
• reduced availability of ASN and wellbeing support,
• severe strain on estates maintenance and capital projects.
These impacts highlight systemic issues and demonstrate the consequences of short-term allocations and real terms cuts of over 20% in the past 5 years.
The actions asked for by the petition would allow colleges to:
• plan workforce needs,
• commit to long-term curriculum development,
• support industry transition,
• maintain regional opportunity and inclusion,
• remain financially solvent.
14 signatures