Student Finance and Wellbeing Study Scotland 2023/24: literature review

1. Introduction

In January 2023, the Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) to undertake a mixed-method study to collect up to date data on the financial experiences of further (FE) and higher education (HE) students at colleges and universities in Scotland.

The research aimed to:

i. Explore the income, expenditure, debt and savings of HE and FE students in Scotland in the academic year 2023/24.

ii. Gather information on students’ experiences of, and attitudes towards, student finance, financial management, and the support available whilst studying.

iii. Understand the impact that students’ finances have on their experiences of studying for a higher and further education course, including on their physical and mental wellbeing.

iv. Identify groups of students, including those with protected characteristics, who are in, or are at risk of, financial hardship.

v. Form a baseline for any future similar surveys and provide information on student finance in Scotland prior to the introduction of any future student support policies or policy development.

This high-level literature review accompanies the full research report from the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study for Scotland (Academic Year 2023/2024) (Scottish Government, 2024). The purpose of this review was to contextualise student finance and support in Scotland and inform the development of the survey and the qualitative research with students. It seeks to draw out the key themes of the literature and identify any gaps. Although this was a rapid review, and should not therefore be considered exhaustive, it provides a valuable resource for setting context to the study, informing the methods and research questions, and for readers seeking to gain an insight into the available research in this area at the time (2023 to 2024).