The proportion of college students getting full credit for prior learning when entering university has risen, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has said. It comes as universities celebrate meeting a government target on access for those from the most deprived areas two years early.
In a new report on widening access, published today, the SFC said that, of the 7,365 students entering university first degree courses in 2019-20 with an HNC/D qualification - so a higher education qualification obtained at college - in the past three years, 58.1 per cent received full credit.
That proportion is a slight increase on the 2018-19 figure of 55.5 per cent, although the absolute number dropped from 4,470 to 4,290.
Full credit means that those with a HNC go straight into the second year of a four-year university degree, while those with a HND go into year 3. That process is known as articulation with advanced standing (AS).
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The overall number of entrants to university first-degree courses with HNC/D qualifications fell from 8,060 in 2018-19 to 7,365 in 2019-20. With colleges a main driver for those from the most deprived backgrounds entering universities, the SFC suggests that an increase in the number of students from the 20 per cent most deprived areas enrolling directly in universities could be behind that reduction in numbers.
According to the SFC, students achieving an HNC/D in the most recent three academic years accounted for almost one in five Scottish-domiciled degree entrants to university in 2019-20. Those who did not get full credit either got advanced progression (AP) - or partial credit - for prior study, or simply progressed with no credit for prior learning.
Today’s SFC data also shows that in 2019-20, universities beat the government’s target for entry two years early, with 16.4 per cent of those starting a full-time degree course in 2019-20 coming from the 20 per cent most deprived areas - just above the target of 16 per cent by 2021. Overall, 21.4 per cent of entrants on to full-time undergraduate higher education courses came from these areas.
The SFC report says that in spite of the challenges faced by the tertiary sector and its students as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, 54,765 students successfully achieved an undergraduate-level higher education qualification in 2019-20 from Scotland’s colleges and universities. Of those achieving qualifications, 19 per cent were from the 20 per cent most deprived areas.
Celebrating progress
The SFC’s director of access, learning and outcomes, James Dunphy, said: “Widening access to higher education is incredibly important because it can disrupt cycles of deprivation and level up opportunities for under-represented groups in our society.
“We should celebrate the progress reflected in this report. However, the pandemic and the real-life experiences of students remind us that circumstances can change very quickly and that we need to constantly redefine the challenges of widening access and design systems that can flex to them.
“Responding better to the changing needs of learners and society is a key part of the recommendations in our review of tertiary education and research, and we are preparing to work towards this with our partners.”
The minister for higher education, FE, youth employment and training, Jamie Hepburn, said it was positive to see more than a fifth of full-time undergraduate entrants coming from the most deprived areas in Scotland when looking at the college and university sectors combined.
Chief executive of Colleges Scotland Shona Struthers said: “I’m pleased that the efforts made by colleges in Scotland to widen access to education clearly shows in the evidence published today. Scotland’s colleges made a substantial contribution to tertiary-level delivery, recruiting more than 25 per cent of Scottish-domiciled entrants to higher education courses from the 20 per cent most deprived areas.
“The report also highlights the growing number of care-experienced students starting an undergraduate course, and it’s impossible to overestimate the hugely important role education plays in the life story of individuals. The year-on-year rise by more than 400 care-experienced students on their way to a higher education qualification in 2019-20 is good news.
“I’m also pleased to see the very high numbers of college graduates moving on to work or further study as positive destinations - 95.5 per cent of male leavers and 94.4 per cent of female leavers from full-time higher education college courses (with known destinations) were in work or further study three to six months after qualifying. Again, this emphasises the huge impact colleges can make on individuals, improving life chances and enabling economic success.”
