Education - support for part-time study and disabled students: consultation - June 2025

Annex B: Consultation questions

Consultation one – aimed at all students (current and former), potential students, parents and carers

About you

Are you responding to this consultation as a student or as a parent/carer of a student?

• I am a current student
• I am a former student
• I am a prospective student
• I am a parent or carer of a student (current, former, or prospective)

Background Questions

If you are responding as the parent or carer of a student, please answer in relation to the student’s circumstances.

1. At what level are you currently studying, planning to study, or have previously studied? [this link will direct to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework website]

Please select one

• Further education (up to SCQF 6)
• Higher education (HNC/HND/undergraduate or postgraduate degree)

2. Are you currently studying, planning to study, or have studied a part-time or distance learning course?

Please select one

• Yes
• No

3. Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last 12 months or more?

Please select one

• Yes
• No

Support for Part-Time / Distance Learning Study

4. What benefits of part-time or distance learning study attracted you or would attract you to learn in this way?

Please select all that apply

• Cost is more affordable than full-time study
• I have a disability and part-time study offers more flexibility
• It allows me to balance study with caring responsibilities
• It allows me to balance study with parental responsibilities
• It allows me to balance study with my work/job commitments
• It allows me to meet benefit eligibility criteria
• My chosen subject is not available as a full-time course
• I can study my chosen subject regardless of geographical location
• Other – please specify Free text

5. Do you think that support for part-time and distance learning study needs to be simplified? Yes / No

Can you please explain further the reasons for this? Free text

6. If you self-funded or are planning to self-fund your course fees, can you tell us why that is?

Please select all that apply

• Not eligible due to residency requirements
• Not eligible due to the type of the course
• Not eligible due to earnings
• I didn’t know a fee waiver was available
• My employer is funding my course
• I am funding my course through financial support from others (family/ friends)
• I have taken out a loan to fund my course
• I am using savings to fund my course
• I am using a combination of sources to fund my course
• Other – please specify Free text

7. If you required financial support to undertake your studies, which of the following would be available to you to access?

Please select all that apply

• Benefits
• Paid employment
• Personal loan or credit (including a credit card)
• Savings
• Other – please specify Free text

8. Has the financial support available to you from Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), or from your college or university, helped support you to complete your course? Yes/ No

Can you explain in what way it has or has not helped you? Free text

9. Further education students can get their fees paid (this is called a fee waiver) or can get some support towards fees depending on their circumstances. Access to this support is subject to eligibility criteria which can include a means-test (where your household income is assessed to decide if you’re eligible).

What are your views on this approach? Free text

10. Higher Education part-time tuition fees charged by colleges, universities or private providers of higher education can vary.

Part-time Fee Grant (PTFG) is a grant towards tuition fees for eligible higher education students through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).

If you are studying a part-time or distance learning course of higher education in Scotland or have studied a part-time or distance learning course of higher education, how did you pay for your tuition fees?

Please select one

• I was eligible for PTFG which covered the full amount of the tuition fees charged
• I was eligible for PTFG which covered more than half of the tuition fees charged
• I was eligible for PTFG which covered less than half of the tuition fees charged
• I was not eligible for PTFG

If you were not eligible for PTFG or PTFG did not cover the full cost of tuition fees charged, how did you pay the remaining costs? Free text

11. The Scottish Government has focused support for students on low income to access higher education through the PTFG, which is accessible for those with personal incomes of under £25,000.

Do you feel the current eligibility criteria for the Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG) work on focusing support for students who need it the most? Yes / No

Can you please explain further the reasons for this? Free text

12. Currently full-time higher and further education students are eligible to apply for living cost support while they study.

Would the introduction of living cost support (which could include bursaries and/or student loans) for part-time or distance learning study affect your learning and study habits? Yes / No

If ‘yes’, can you please tell us how it might affect your learning and study habits? Free text

13. To be eligible for living cost support (bursary and/or student loan), full-time higher and further education students must meet eligibility criteria relating to their course choice and residency. This also considers the household income of the student and any previous study supported by public funds.

The introduction of living cost support for part time or distance learning study would mean the same eligibility criteria being used as it is for full-time study. Do you agree with this? Yes / No

If ‘no’, can you tell us why you think eligibility criteria between full-time and part-time or distance learning study should be different? Free Text

14. Are there any non-monetary improvements relating to support for part-time and distance learning students, not already asked in this consultation, that you would like to comment on? Free text

Support For Disabled Students

15. Do you think that support for disabled students in further and/or higher education needs to be simplified? Yes / No

Can you please explain further the reasons for this? Free text

16. Colleges and universities are required to review the support required for their disabled students and students with additional learning needs.

If you have discussed your needs with a Needs Assessor or Disability Advisor, what support did they recommend for you?

Please select all that apply

• Adjustments to support classroom-based learning
• IT hardware and/or software
• Support from student support staff/other university staff
• Peer support, such as student union or representatives
• None
• Other – please specify Free text

17. Have the adjustments mentioned in question 16 been made available to you from your college or university? Yes/No

If ‘no’, can you please explain further the reasons for this? Free text

18. How long did it take for your support package to be put in place at your college or university?

Please select one

• Up to a month
• 1 month to 2 months
• 2 months to 4 months
• 4 months to 6 months
• Over 6 months

19. If your support package was not in place within the first month of your course, what were the reasons for this?

Please select all that apply

• I was not aware of support that was available
• Awaiting needs assessment
• I had not applied for support
• Recommended support package had not been agreed at that time
• Awaiting delivery of IT or specialised equipment
• Other – Please specify Free Text

20. Once your support package was in place, did you find that the agreed plan was followed? Yes / No

If ‘no’, please tell us how that impacted on your experience as a student. Free text

21. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is administered by Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) and is based on the recommendations of the Disability Advisor at an institution and the student’s needs assessment.

If you have received DSA or are currently receiving DSA, would you make any changes that would improve your experience? Yes/ No

If ‘yes’, can you please provide details on what improvements you would like to see and why. Free text

22. DSA is currently administered under 3 separate allowances (equipment, software and accessories/consumable items/Non-Medical Personal Help) with different limits applying to each component. In the other devolved nations across the United Kingdom, DSA is administered as a single allowance to be used for study support as required by the student.

In your opinion, is it helpful for students to have different allowances and limits or do you think that a single DSA allowance limit would better support students?

Please select one

• I would prefer allowance limits for each element of DSA
• I would prefer a single DSA allowance
• Other – please specify Free text

Can you please explain why this is your preferred option? Free text

23. In most circumstances financial support for disabled students in further education is currently managed by the colleges.

Would you prefer that financial support for disabled students in further education continued to be managed by the colleges or would you rather funding was paid directly to the student, and for the student to manage additional costs?

Please select one

• Colleges should deliver and pay for all aspects of support for FE disabled students
• FE disabled students should receive a dedicated allowance to support with their disability/impairment needs
• Other – please specify

Can you explain why this is your preferred option? Free text

24. If you have studied a further education course, did the financial and other practical support that you received from your college regarding your learning needs help with your studies? Yes / No

If ‘no’, can you please tell us why? Free text

25. Are there any non-monetary improvements relating to support for disabled students, not already asked in this consultation, that you would like to comment on? Free text

Consultation two – aimed at higher education and further education sector, training providers, third sector and interested organisations

About you

Only select 'organisation' if you are submitting a response in a formal capacity on behalf an organisation rather than your own individual views. Are you responding to this consultation as:

• An organisation / institution
• An individual with experience in supporting part-time and / or disabled students
• A member of the public

If you are responding on behalf of an organisation / institution or are someone with experience in supporting part-time and / or disabled students in such a setting, which of the following best describes the relevant organisation / institution?

• University
• College
• Private education provider
• Third sector organisation
• Sector representative body
• Student representative body
• Public sector body
• Other – please specify

Support For Part-Time / Distance Learning Study

1. If you represent or work for an education provider, do you provide further education courses (up to SCQF level 6) or higher education (HNC / HND / undergraduate or postgraduate degree)?

[this link will direct to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework website]

Please select one

• Further education
• Higher education
• Both further and higher education

2. If you represent or work for an education provider, do you provide part-time or distance learning study options? Yes / No

If ‘no’, can you please tell us why this is the case?

Please select all that apply

• Not compatible with the organisation’s preferred study model
• Not commercially viable
• Not sufficient student interest
• Other – please specify Free text

3. Do you think that support for part-time and distance learning study needs to be simplified? Yes / No

Can you please explain further the reasons for this? Free text

4. If you represent or work for an education provider, apart from student financial support packages funded by the Scottish Government, what other financial and wider institutional support does your college or university offer part-time/distance learning students? Free text

5. If you represent or work for an education provider, do you think that the introduction of living cost support (bursaries and/or loan) for part-time / distance learning study might affect your institution’s course provision? Yes / No

If ‘yes’, please tell us what effect this might have. Free text

6. To be eligible for living cost support (bursary and/or student loan), full-time higher and further education students must meet eligibility criteria relating to their course choice and residency. This also considers the household income of the student and any previous study supported by public funds.

The introduction of living cost support for part time or distance learning study would mean the same eligibility criteria being used as it is for full-time study. Do you agree with this? Yes / No

If ‘no’, can you tell us why you think eligibility criteria between full-time and part-time / distance learning study should be different? Free text

7. Further education students can get their fees paid (this is called a fee waiver) or can get some support towards fees depending on their circumstances. Access to this support is subject to eligibility criteria which can include a means-test.

What are your views on this approach? Free text

8. The Part-time Fee Grant (PTFG) is a grant towards tuition fees for eligible higher education students.

What do you think would help to further improve support for part-time and distance learning students in higher education? Free Text

9. The Scottish Government has focused support for students on low income to access higher education through the PTFG, which is accessible for those with personal incomes of under £25,000.

Do you feel the current eligibility criteria for the part-time fee grant work on focusing support for students who need it the most? Yes / No

Can you explain the reasons for your answer? Free text

10. Are there any non-monetary improvements relating to support for part-time and distance learning students, not already asked in this consultation, that you would like to comment on? Free text

11. SIMD-20 learners are students from the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Should part-time and distance learning first-degree students be included in the official data measuring progress towards the Scottish Government’s target to increase the proportion of SIMD-20 learners entering higher education? Yes/No

Can you explain the reasons for your answer? Free text

Support For Disabled Students

12. Do you think that support for disabled students in further and/or higher education needs to be simplified? Yes / No

Can you please explain further the reasons for this? Free text

13. If you represent or work for an education provider, what financial and wider support can be accessed by disabled students studying with you? Free text

14. Do you find that disabled students' decision on whether to study full or part-time is affected by the level of financial or wider institutional support available? Yes/No

If ‘yes’, please tell us what evidence you have and what examples of impact you are aware of. Free text

15. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) based on the recommendations of the Disability Advisor following a needs assessment.

What improvements do you feel could be made to the administration of support for disabled students in higher education? Free Text

16. If you represent or work for a college or university, do you carry out in-house needs assessments for disabled students who are applying to access DSA in Scotland? Yes / No

If ‘no’, who provides needs assessments for your students? Free Text

17. If you represent or work for a college or university that supports DSA students, how long does it typically take DSA applicants to undergo a needs assessment once they have been referred?

Please select one

• 1 to 2 weeks
• 2 to 4 weeks
• 1 to 2 months
• Over 2 months

18. If you represent or work for a college or university that supports DSA applicants, when recommending a Non-Medical Personal Helper to be hired by the student, do you check to ensure that the appointed individual has the necessary skills, experience, and clearance to support the student, prior to endorsing? Yes / No

If ‘yes’, please tell us what type of checks you carry out. Free text

19. If you represent or work for a college or university that supports DSA students, do you assist these students in undertaking their employer obligations in relation to contract, tax, NI when they employ their own Non-Medical Personal Helper?

Yes / No

20. DSA is currently administered under 3 separate allowances (equipment, software and accessories / consumable items / Non-Medical Personal Help) with different limits applying to each component. In the other devolved nations across the United Kingdom, DSA is administered as a single allowance to be used for study support as required by the student.

In your opinion, is it helpful for students to have different allowances and limits or do you think that a single DSA allowance limit would better support students?

Please select one

• I would prefer allowance limits for each element of DSA
• I would prefer a single DSA allowance
• Other – please specify Free text

Can you explain why this your preferred option? Free text

21. If you represent or work for a college or university that supports DSA students, what is your approach when the cost to support the needs of a disabled student exceeds the relevant DSA allowance limits? Free text

22. If you represent or work for a college or university, what is your approach when the type of support required for a disabled student cannot be met through DSA allowances or when the student is not eligible for DSA ? Free text

23. In most circumstances financial support for disabled students in further education is currently managed by the colleges.

Should funding for disabled students in further education continue to go to the college to support the student with their disability, or do you think this should go directly to the student (similar to DSA for HE students) to manage the additional costs?

Please select one

• Colleges should continue to deliver all aspects of support for FE disabled students
• FE disabled students should be able to apply for a dedicated allowance to support with their disability/impairment needs
• Other – please specify Free text

Can you explain why this is your preferred option? Free text

24. If you represent or work for a college or university, can you provide examples of how the different funding streams administered to your organisation by the Scottish Funding Council are used to support disabled students and students with additional learning needs? Free text

25. Are there any non-monetary improvements relating to support for disabled students, not already asked in this consultation, that you would like to comment on? Free text