Student funding in further education

Annex C: Responses to online survey

Table C‑1: Profile of the FE student population in Scotland in 2017/18

Characteristics	Number of students	% of total student population
Age
16 - 17 years	29,670	15%
18 - 24 years	50,376	25%
25+ years	86,784	43%
Gender
Male	96,964	48%
Female	103,417	51%
Other/Prefer not to say	565	1%
Disability
Yes	28,978	14%
No	172,735	86%
Full time students	52,372	24%
Part time students	165,273	76%

Source: Scottish Funding Council Infact database
Count of students includes all students who have completed 25% of a course

Table C‑2: Which college do you attend?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Ayrshire College	714	34%
Borders College	14	1%
City of Glasgow College	562	27%
Dumfries and Galloway College	1	0%
Dundee and Angus College	7	0%
Fife College	46	2%
Forth Valley College	486	23%
Glasgow Clyde College	9	0%
Glasgow Kelvin College	3	0%
North East Scotland College	208	10%
Shetland College UHI	1	0%
South Lanarkshire College	3	0%
West College Scotland	2	0%
West Lothian College	9	0%
Skipped question	9	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑3: Are you enrolled as a full time or part time student?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Full-time	1,984	96%
Part-time	68	3%
Other	13	1%
Skipped question	9	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑4: What level of course are you currently enrolled on?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
SCQF Level 4	199	10%
SCQF Level 5	565	27%
SCQF Level 6	692	33%
SCQF Level 7	149	7%
SCQF Level 8	89	4%
SCQF Level 9	5	0%
SCQF Level 10	4	0%
Other	370	18%
Skipped question	1	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑5: Have you previously studied any further education courses up to SCQF level 6?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	248	100%
No	0	0%
Don't know / not sure	0	0%
Total:	248	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: Those who are enrolled in a course at SCQF level 7-10 or did not specify

Table C‑6: What is your gender?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Male	772	37%
Female	1,243	60%
Transgender	15	1%
Non-binary	12	1%
Intersex	0	0%
Other	13	1%
Prefer not to say	11	1%
Skipped question	8	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑7: What is your age range?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
16 - 17 years	407	20%
18 - 24 years	983	47%
25 - 34 years	361	17%
35 - 44 years	191	9%
45 - 54 years	71	3%
55 - 64	29	1%
65+	5	0%
Prefer not to say	17	1%
Skipped question	10	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑8: What is your ethnicity?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
White - British/English/Scottish/Welsh/Northern Irish	1,846	89%
White - Gypsy, Roma or Irish traveller	8	0%
Mixed - White & Asian	11	1%
Mixed - White & Black African	5	0%
Mixed - White & Black Caribbean	4	0%
Mixed - White & Chinese	1	0%
Black - British/English/Scottish/Welsh/Northern Irish	10	0%
Asian - British/English/Scottish/Welsh/Northern Irish	22	1%
Bangladeshi	2	0%
Chinese	4	0%
Indian	7	0%
Pakistani	14	1%
African	12	1%
Caribbean	2	0%
Other Black background	8	0%
Arab	7	0%
Prefer not to say	96	5%
Skipped question	15	1%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑9: What is your faith or belief?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Christian	444	21%
Buddhist	10	0%
Hindu	5	0%
Jewish	2	0%
Muslim	43	2%
Sikh	7	0%
None	1,367	66%
Prefer not to say	113	5%
Other	71	3%
Skipped question	12	1%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑10: Are you a parent?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	488	24%
No	1,550	75%
Prefer not to say	29	1%
Skipped question	7	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑11: Are you a lone parent?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	234	45%
No	254	48%
Prefer not to say	30	6%
Skipped question	6	1%
Total:	524	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All who are parents or did not specify

Table C‑12: Do you consider yourself to have a disability?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	244	12%
No	1,748	84%
Prefer not to say	81	4%
Skipped question	1	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑13: Which of the following types of disability do you experience?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Physical	58	24%
Vision Impairment	20	8%
Deaf or hard of hearing	24	10%
Mental health conditions	122	50%
Intellectual	17	7%
Acquired brain injury	5	2%
Autism spectrum disorder	58	24%
Other	64	26%
Skipped question	2	1%
Total:	244

Source: SQW online survey
Base: Those who have a disability

Table C‑14: What is your sexual orientation?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Heterosexual	1,654	80%
Gay	82	4%
Bi-Sexual	142	7%
Prefer not to say	134	6%
Other	48	2%
Skipped question	14	1%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑15: Do you have any experience of being in care?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	143	7%
No	1,881	91%
Prefer not to say	36	2%
Skipped question	14	1%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑16: Do you have any experience of being a carer?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	425	20%
No	1,590	77%
Prefer not to say	54	3%
Skipped question	5	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑17: Which of the following sources of finance / income have you accessed whilst at college?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Savings	347	17%
Grant/Bursary/Scholarship	1,420	68%
Earnings from employment	534	26%
Supported by friends / family	483	23%
Loans from friends / family	220	11%
Commercial loans from a bank / building society	36	2%
Credit cards or store cards	143	7%
Loan from an unregistered money lender	18	1%
Welfare benefits	172	8%
Other	176	8%
Skipped question	46	2%
Total:	2,074

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table 7‑1: Do you receive any of the following tax credits or social security benefits?

	Number of Survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Child benefit	351	17%
Child tax credit	238	11%
Council Tax benefit / Council Tax reduction	239	12%
Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (PIP)	75	4%
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)	33	2%
Guardians Allowance	7	0%
Housing Benefit	133	6%
Incapacity Benefit	3	0%
Income support	38	2%
Universal Credit	117	6%
Working Tax Credit	64	3%
Attendance Allowance	18	1%
Carer's Allowance	24	1%
Industrial Injuries Benefit	3	0%
Widows pension	1	0%
Disability pension	4	0%
Severe Disablement Allowance	5	0%
Other	46	2%
Not receiving any benefits or credits	885	43%
Prefer not to say	154	7%
Skipped question	399	19%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C-18: To what extent are you worried about your financial situation?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Very worried	456	22%
Quite worried	526	25%
Don't know / not sure	327	16%
Slightly worried	419	20%
Not at all worried	337	16%
Skipped question	9	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑19: Have you ever run out of money?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	1,512	73%
No	553	27%
Skipped question	9	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑20: What did you do when you ran out of money?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Used savings	300	20%
Cut back spending / did without	731	48%
Took out a loan from friends / family	833	55%
Took out a commercial loan from a bank / building society	66	4%
Used credit cards or store cards	185	12%
Took out a loan from an unregistered money lender	49	3%
Took on employment overtime	191	13%
Prefer not to say	81	5%
Other	98	6%
Skipped question	2	0%
Total:	1,512

Source: SQW online survey
Base: Those who had ever run out of money

Table C‑21: Have you ever been turned down for a loan, mortgage or credit card?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	497	24%
No	1,443	70%
Prefer not to say	118	6%
Skipped question	16	1%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑22: Are you currently in debt?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Yes	692	33%
No	1,368	66%
Skipped question	14	1%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All survey respondents

Table C‑23: What was the purpose of the debt?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
To cover my basic living costs (e.g. rent / food / bills)	528	75%
To pay for additional luxuries (e.g. holidays / nights out)	58	8%
To cover course materials	104	15%
To pay for a car and associated running costs	608	86%
To buy a property	16	2%
To cover unexpected costs	281	40%
Other	71	10%
Skipped question	20	3%
Total:	706

Source: SQW online survey
Base: Those who are currently in debt or did not specify

Table C‑24: If you were eligible for a student loan, how likely do you think you would be to apply for this?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Very likely	933	45%
Likely	350	17%
Don't know/ not sure	531	26%
Unlikely	113	5%
Very unlikely	140	7%
Skipped question	7	0%
Total:	2,074	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: All participants

Table C‑25: If you accessed a student loan, what would you use it for?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
To cover my basic living costs (e.g. rent /food / bills)	1,507	81%
To cover additional luxuries (e.g. holidays / nights out)	184	10%
To cover course materials	1,026	55%
To pay for a car and associated running costs	432	23%
To buy a home	65	3%
To cover unexpected to costs	562	30%
Other	73	4%
Skipped question	244	13%
Total:	1,860

Source: SQW online survey
Base: Those who would be very likely / likely to take out a student loan or did not specify, and those who would be very unlikely/unlikely to take out a student loan but did not specify why

Table C‑26: If you accessed a student loan, how likely would you be to also access the following sources of income / finance?

	Number of survey respondents	% of survey respondents
Savings
Very likely	278	15%
Likely	343	18%
Don't know / not sure	603	32%
Unlikely	240	13%
Very unlikely	235	13%
Skipped	161	9%
Total:	1,860	100%
Grant/Bursary/Scholarship
Very likely	534	29%
Likely	502	27%
Don't know / not sure	510	27%
Unlikely	83	4%
Very unlikely	104	6%
Skipped	127	7%
Total:	1,860	100%
Earnings from employment
Very likely	418	22%
Likely	450	24%
Don't know / not sure	511	27%
Unlikely	118	6%
Very unlikely	167	9%
Skipped	196	11%
Total:	1,860	100%
Supported by friends / family
Very likely	166	9%
Likely	392	21%
Don't know / not sure	488	26%
Unlikely	271	15%
Very unlikely	326	18%
Skipped	217	12%
Total:	1,860	100%
Loans from friends / family
Very likely	113	6%
Likely	235	13%
Don't know / not sure	505	27%
Unlikely	306	16%
Very unlikely	456	25%
Skipped	245	13%
Total:	1,860	100%
Commercial loans from a bank / building society
Very likely	31	2%
Likely	72	4%
Don't know / not sure	490	26%
Unlikely	308	17%
Very unlikely	696	37%
Skipped	263	14%
Total:	1,860	100%
Credit cards or store cards
Very likely	46	2%
Likely	124	7%
Don't know / not sure	499	27%
Unlikely	290	16%
Very unlikely	651	35%
Skipped	250	13%
Total:	1,860	100%
Loan from an unregistered money lender
Very likely	31	2%
Likely	50	3%
Don't know / not sure	401	22%
Unlikely	227	12%
Very unlikely	888	48%
Skipped	263	14%
Total:	1,860	100%
Welfare benefits
Very likely	81	4%
Likely	128	7%
Don't know / not sure	584	31%
Unlikely	213	11%
Very unlikely	610	33%
Skipped	244	13%
Total:	1,860	100%

Source: SQW online survey
Base: Those who would be very likely / likely to take out a student loan or did not specify, and those who would be very unlikely/unlikely to take out a student loan but did not specify why