Scottish budget unveils £1 billion investment in universities

Investment in research to underpin Scottish government’s long-term strategy.

The Scottish government will invest a further £1 billion in universities in 2017 and protect the core research budget as a “key investment for the future of Scotland”, John Swinney, the Scottish finance minister has said.

In his draft budget for 2016-17, Swinney outlined a “Scottish alternative to austerity” that will see a continued commitment to funding free university tuition. This will involve investing a further £1 billion in 2017 on top of the £4 billion spent over the past four years to support the “continued success” of Scottish higher education. “The Scottish government has placed the principle of higher education based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay, at the heart of what we believe,” he said.