The fourth and final paper from the Carnegie Education Fund (CEF) and Ipsos Citizens’ Jury on higher education funding in Scotland has today been published. 

It explores how members of the public understand universities as the primary setting for higher education learning in Scotland, as well as how they feel those institutions should be funded in the face of mounting financial challenges. 

The paper shows that as jurors gained a greater awareness of the issues facing the sector their concerns around the sustainability of the current funding model grew. Despite this, they remained committed to the principle of free higher education. 

When it came to potential solutions, they suggested that the focus should be on reforming the delivery model in universities to make provision more affordable such as through the introduction of shorter degree courses or exploring more online delivery. 

They remained cautious however and were keen to ensure that any changes would not limit opportunity or widen geographical disparities, making it clear that reform must not compromise equity, access or the quality of learning and teaching. 

Download the Research Paper

This paper is the final entry in a wider series and does not tell the full story of the Citizens’ Jury. It should be read together with earlier papers on purpose and value, equity and access, and pathways.  

A full report will be released in coming weeks bringing the data together to provide a detailed account of the jurors’ findings and lessons for future engagement. 

To find out more about the Citizens’ Jury and why it was commissioned, see the methodology paper.