Publication - Research and analysis

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

Published: 28 October 2025
Directorate: Learning Directorate, +1 more … Lifelong Learning and Skills Directorate
Topic: Education
ISBN: 9781806432158

Student income and expenditure in Scotland: a supporting literature review for the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study Scotland, academic year 2023 to 2024.

Part of

Colleges, universities and young people in training: statistics

Supporting documents

11. References

BBC News (2016) ‘Student grants replaced by loans’, BBC News, 1 August. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Blackburn, L. (2023) The fairest of them all? Comparing the reproduction of inequality in student funding in Scotland and Wales, PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh

Bland, B. (2015) Focus on access and retention: Risks for students who are estranged or disowned by their family.

Bland, B. (2018) ‘It’s All About The Money: The Influence of Family Estrangement, Accommodation Struggles and Homelessness on Student Success in UK Higher Education’, Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 20(3), pp. 68–89.

Bolton, P. (2023) ‘Student loan statistics. Research briefing’. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Bolton, P. and Hubble, S. (2021) ‘Support for disabled students in higher education in England’. House of Commons Library. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Christie, H. (2007) ‘Higher Education and Spatial (Im)Mobility: Nontraditional Students and Living at Home’, Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 39(10), pp. 2445–2463.

Christie, H. and Monroe, M. (2003) ‘The Logic of Loans: students’ perceptions of the costs and benefits of the student loan’, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 24(5), pp. 621–636.

Christie, H., Munro, M. and Rettig, H. (2001) ‘Making Ends Meet: Student incomes and debt’, Studies in Higher Education, 26(3), pp. 363–383.

Costa, C. (2019). Estranged students in higher education: policy thoughts in context. Social Theory Applied.

Costa, C. et al. (2020) ‘Estranged students in higher education: navigating social and economic capitals’, Cambridge Journal of Education, 50(1), pp. 107–123.

Department for Education (DfE) (2018) Student income and expenditure survey 2014 to 2015, English Report, March 2018.

Donnelly, M. and Gamsu, S. (2018) ‘Home and away’: Social, Ethnic and Spatial Inequalities in Student Mobility. The Sutton Trust.

Glasgow Caledonian University (2023) Living and study costs, Glasgow Caledonian University. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Howieson, C. and Minty, S. (2019) Centre for Educational Sociology Briefing: Supporting widening participation students at university. 67. University of Edinburgh.

Key, A. (2019). Exploring the experiences of estranged students in higher education: a longitudinal comparative case of two UK universities. In: Imagining Better Education: Conference Proceedings 2018. Durham: Durham University.

Lewis, J. and West, A. (2017) ‘Intergenerational Relations between English Students, Graduates Living at Home, and their Parents’, Social Policy & Administration, 51(7), pp. 1248–1266.

Lowe, J. and Gayle, V. (2014) ‘From lifelong learning to youth employment: back to the future for higher education in Scotland’s colleges’, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 40(3), pp. 351–371.

Maguire, C. et al. (2022) Thriving Learners: Initial findings from Scottish Colleges. Mental Health Foundation.

Maguire, C. and Cameron, J. (2022) Thriving Learners: Initial Findings from Scottish HEIs. Mental Health Foundation.

Minty, S. (2015) Young people’s attitudes towards tuition fees and debt in Scotland and England. University of Edinburgh.

Minty, S. (2021) ‘Where to study and where to live? Young people’s higher education decisions in Scotland and the role of family, finance and region’.

Minty, S., Biggs, H., Whitford, R., Creasy-Daniels, A. and MacGregor, A. (2022) Research to understand the experiences of estranged students in further and higher education in Scotland. Scottish Government.

Minty, S. and Vertigans, S. (2021) Accessing Robert Gordon University: The experiences of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Robert Gordon University.

NatCen Social Research and Institute for Employment Studies (2023) Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2021 to 2022. Department for Education.

National Union of Students (NUS) (2020) ‘Coronavirus Student Survey Phase 3: Mental Health and Wellbeing’, November 2020, published December 2020.

National Union of Students (NUS) (2022) ‘Cost of Living: Students and Apprentices’, June 2022.

National Union of Students (NUS) and Unipol (2021) Accommodation Costs Survey 2021.

National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland (2022) Broke: How Scotland is failing its students. NUS Scotland.

National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland (2023) Fighting for Students: The Cost of Survival. NUS Scotland.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022) Cost of living and higher education students, England: 24 October to 7 November 2022. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023) Cost of living and higher education students, England: 30 January to 13 February 2023. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Oloyede, F.D., Bridger, K. and Lawson, B. (2020) Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing Support for Scotland’s Students. BSV Associates, NUS Scotland.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) (2023) Student Living Index 2023. [The 2023 index was reviewed but is now no longer available online]. Please see this link for the 2025 Student Living Index.

Save The Student (2023) Student Money Survey 2023 – Results - Save the Student. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Scottish Funding Council (SFC) (2024) Report on Widening Access 2022-2023.

Scottish Government (2009) Higher and Further Education Students’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2007-08. Scottish Government.

Scottish Government (2017) Student financial support in Scotland: independent review. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Scottish Government (2019a) Student funding in further education. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Scottish Government (2019b) Letter in response to the debate on student support, 10 June 2019, National Records of Scotland.

Scottish Government (2020) Coronavirus (COVID-19): student hardship - case studies: report. Accessed: 17 January 2024.

Scottish Government (2021) Programme for Government 2021 to 2022.

Scottish Government (2022a) Student experiences of financial support in summer 2021: insights.

Scottish Government (2022b) Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) - scoping survey findings.

Scottish Government (2023) Review of Summer Support for Students - Final Report.

Scottish Government (2024) Student Finance and Wellbeing Study (SFWS) Scotland 2023-2024: main report.