Student Finance and Wellbeing Study Scotland 2023/24 Privacy Notice

About this privacy notice

This privacy notice explains how any personal data you choose to provide for the purposes of this study will be used, handled, stored, analysed, reported and deleted. Personal data includes any information you give to ScotCen which could identify you, such as your name, contact details (email address/ telephone number), age, gender, place of study and personal financial experiences.

The Scottish Government is the “data controller” which means that it has decided what personal data may be collected from you as part of this study - it has overall responsibility for the personal data processed as part of this project.

ScotCen is the “data processor” which means that ScotCen will be responsible for collecting information from you through a survey questionnaire and from an interview or focus group, securely storing it and using it to write a report for the Scottish Government. ScotCen will use third party transcribers who will have access to interview and focus group recordings. All third party organisations used by ScotCen have signed data security and confidentially agreements and all data are transferred securely. Survey participants will be asked at the end of the questionnaire if they would like to volunteer to take part in a follow-up interview or focus group, and if they wish to be entered in a prize draw. If they choose to, they will be asked to provide their contact details directly to ScotCen. These contact details will be used only for two purposes: 1. providing students who express an interest in the interviews and focus groups with more information on this part of the study and to set up a time suitable to students to take part, and 2. contact participants selected in the prize draw.

You can choose to withdraw from the prize draw or the interviews and focus groups at any time by contacting ScotCen on.

Email: SFWS@scotcen.org.uk

Telephone:  0131 240 0223

Address: Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW

In addition, universities and colleges will also be invited by ScotCen to opt-in to the study and will be asked as part of this process to provide the work contact details for a member of staff who will be their nominated lead contact. The colleges and universities participating in the Study will be anonymised by the contractor.

The Scottish Government’s lawful basis for this work is “public task”. This means it is being collected to inform the Scottish Government’s understanding of the current financial experiences of students in Scotland, which will help to inform policy on the financial support available to students in the future.