THE long awaited award of higher education status for the University of the Highlands and Islands project is accompanied by another pound;2 million grant from the Executive. Henry McLeish, the First Minister, travelled to Inverness on Tuesday to make the announcement.
Full university status is still several years away, but HE designation, which will be complete by Easter, is a necessary first step. Money fr the UHI will now come from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and will amount on average to twice the pound;2,400 per student received under further education rules.
Higher education in the south-west also benefited this week. Wendy Alexander, Lifelong Learning Minister, unveiled a pound;500,000 grant to widen access, especially to the Crichton campus of Glasgow and Paisley universities.
