Scottish universities face £200 million funding gap

Scottish universities are facing a £200 million funding gap, according to a joint review by the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland. The report indicates that the sector has operated below full cost recovery for most years since 2016/17.

In the 2023/24 academic year, universities recovered only approximately 82% of the cost of teaching Scottish students, resulting in an estimated public funding gap of £288 million. The research sector faces even greater challenges, with universities recovering only about 72% of the full cost of research activities during the same period.