Progress on Widening Access to University – HfS Submission

See our Education, Children and Young People Committee Submission here.

The Hub for SUCCESS has written a submission for the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee. This was written alongside care experienced students across our partnership.

The Stark Reality of Education Outcomes for Care-Experienced Students

Latest statistics from the Scottish Government’s 2024 Educational Outcomes report highlight the ongoing disadvantages care-experienced young people face:

Over 34.4% of care-experienced students leave school in S4 or earlier, compared to 14.4% of all school leavers, demonstrating that traditional widening access initiatives fail to reach this group effectively.

32.8% of care-experienced entrants to full-time university courses come from the most deprived areas (known as SIMD20), compared to 16% of non-care-experienced students.

Only 8.6% of care-experienced young people progress to higher education, compared to 40.3% of all school leavers.

Key Findings and Recommendations

Expansion of the Hub for SUCCESS – Given the clear impact of the Hub, the Scottish Government should provide grant funding to expand its reach nationally, ensuring all care-experienced learners in Scotland have access to vital support.

Improved Retention Support – While recruitment of care-experienced students has increased by 400% across HfS partner institutions in the past five years, retention rates remain lower than non-care-experienced peers. Universities require additional staffing and financial resources to ensure these students receive consistent and dedicated support throughout their education journey.

Financial Support Reform – The Hub calls for the absorption of the Special Support Loan into the Care Experienced Students Bursary (CESB) to provide more stable financial assistance. Many care-experienced students struggle to access loan elements, exacerbating financial hardship.