Current campaigns

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Cuts to our colleges means cuts to our future.

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In response to concerns about impending cuts at Fife College, we are supporting students to campaign for better and more sustainable funding for colleges.

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Our open letter to Fife Members of Scottish Parliament:

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Annabelle Ewing, Jenny Gilruth, Willie Rennie, Shirley-Anne Somerville, David Torrance, Mark Ruskell, Liz Smith, Murdo Fraser, Claire Baker, Roz McCall, Alex Rowley, Alexander Stewart

 

Dear Member,

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Members of the Fife College Students’ Association and the wider Fife College community are growing increasingly concerned about the looming threat of cuts to colleges following the Scottish Budget.

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In January 2022 Ken Milroy MBE, Chair of Colleges Scotland, said “Unless there are improvements in the Budget, noticeable changes to colleges are inevitable.” A year later, no improvements were made and the inevitable changes are at our doorstep.

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The future of hundreds of college students hangs in the balance as Fife College faces a real-term cut of at least 10% of public funding. Decisions are being made as we speak about course cuts and job losses that will have a huge impact on current and future students.

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Students who hold a place on courses which are set to be cut next year will be left with few local options. Entire classes will be fighting to fill remaining places at other education institutions, the large majority out with Fife, and with cuts affecting the entire sector they may find there are no spaces left to fill.

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Even if alternatives are available at universities or colleges outside of Fife this is inaccessible to some of the most marginalised students such as learners who have to work to fund their studies, those with caring responsibilities or those with disabilities.

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Colleges are a vital access route out of unemployment, into education and onto skilled employment. Cutting courses will stop students’ careers in their tracks and leave them with limited alternatives.

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The consistent lack of funding to support the students of today will be to blame for the shortage of skills in the Scotland of the future.

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I urge you to support better, sustainable funding to safeguard the future of all colleges in Scotland.

 

What can you do

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• Sign our open letter 

• Share the letter to help us gather as many signatures as we can 

• Contact your MSPs directly to ask for their support

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Tips and suggestions for writing to your MSPs

 

Be polite – we want them on our side

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Your MSPs are often not the ones making the decisions about funding cuts, but they can support us to put pressure on those who are making the decisions. Don’t blame them, ask them for their help.

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Be clear about what we’re asking for

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Make it clear that we are looking for support for better funding for colleges so that these cuts aren’t needed. A few examples of phrases you can include:

• Support better and more sustainable funding for colleges

• Stop cuts to our colleges by supporting better funding

• Without better funding our college can’t continue to offer the same level of vital education and skills to your constituents.

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Tell your story

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Tell them how much the college means to you, the opportunities you’ve been given and what you might lose if there are cuts.

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Talk about our open letter

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Mention that you’ve signed our open letter and that they can view it on our website