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Enhancement and Development

Promoting learner success during the cost-of-living crisis


The ongoing and significant impact of the current cost-of-living crisis on learners studying at Scotland’s colleges and universities continues to capture news headlines. Learners are particularly impacted by increasing costs coupled with a fall in real terms of their student maintenance support. A recent HePI poll indicated the cost-of-living continues to affect learners, with a third saying this may result in them leaving their studies. A National Union of Students survey indicated that one in ten learners state they are accessing food banks and an increasing number calling upon their savings.


Consequently, learners must balance their studies with part-time employment, as well as other responsibilities such as caring. The National Union of Students in Scotland (NUS Scotland) is currently campaigning for students in the cost-of-living crisis. ‘We’re Fighting For Students’ calls for an increase in grants and bursaries, rent controls, and half-price travel fares. A range of organisations, including the Sutton Trust, the University of York, Advance HE and the Higher Education Policy Institute, have published outcomes of research undertaken to improve understandings of the issue and develop solutions that go beyond financial support. 


The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on students’ ability to engage appropriately with their studies and the negative impact on student retention was amongst the many concerns debated by members of the Scottish Higher Education Committee (SHEEC). 

 

In response, QAA Scotland and SHEEC took forward a project during session 2023-24 which delivered a series of sessions, for educators and students, providing an opportunity to engage with a range of current research and expertise, and discuss changes and adjustments to support students with learning in the challenging conditions associated with the current cost-of-living crisis.

 

These four events, focusing on experience and practical responses, featured high-profile, internationally recognised speakers and drew upon a wide range of resources. They were well-attended, drawing hundreds of attendees from Scotland's tertiary sector and beyond. We provide a recording of each of the presentations, PowerPoints and associated links below. More details about this initiative are available in a blog post on the HEPI website. 

 

Absolutely brilliant. Really important to get views of academics and students and the space was incredibly collaborative despite bringing research together from different institutions.

Nice mix of perspectives. All very engaging.

I thought it was a very good workshop... I feel like I need more answers to unanswerable questions, as did many trying to figure a way forward in these trying times.

Well done on a topic VERY relevant currently.

I find the wide perspective offered during these sessions extremely useful. Brilliant to have students presenting.

Very engaging discussion, very relatable info shared from students and nice to know all the good other institutions are doing to support our mature students and student parents.

Overview of presentations

Our first session took place on Thursday 23 October 2023 and attracted around 100 attendees. Our host, Professor Alison Green of the University of Stirling, set the context of the cost-of-living crisis and explored the focus of promoting sense of belonging and student success, allowing us to link to the Resilient Learning Communities Enhancement Theme.


Sector colleagues Gail Capper from Pearson and Sunday Blake from WonkHE addressed how sense of belonging could be used as a tool to improve learner success in the cost-of-living crisis. They outlined the findings of their latest work on sense of belonging, which has identified that students having a strong sense of belonging and connection to their course may be an important factor in developing learner resilience. Their conversations explored themes of connection, inclusion, support and autonomy in the promotion of learner sense of belonging. They challenged us to consider how we can use their findings to enhance learner connections and sense of belonging during the cost-of-living crisis.

Watch the presentation recording


Associated links

Additional information about, and key findings of, the year-long study of belonging and inclusion undertaken by Pearson and Wonkhe:


Hosted by Dr Kyrsten Black our second event took place on 22 February 2024 and was attended by around 150 colleagues. The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our learners’ decision-making about where and how they learn, both on and off campus was explored. We considered institutional interventions developed to help ensure learning is as accessible as possible to all, enabling our learners to flourish in these challenging times, wherever and whenever they chose to study.


Dr Michelle Morgan, from the University of East London, offered an overview of her current research work on the importance of pre-arrival questionnaires - ‘How can early knowledge about our learners enable us to tailor our provision to be more accessible for all our students?’

 

Dr Emily McIntosh, from the University of the West of Scotland, with her team reflected on a practicable solution that can be employed to maximise opportunities for our learners to attend on-campus including organising our physical and digital estates such as timetabling.


Watch the presentation recording

Our session concluded with an update from Debbie McVitty from WonkHE, exploring how the sector needs to prepare our students for being independent learners in blended learning environments, accepting that in order to balance their competing demands, and cope with the cost-of-living crisis, learners will need support in being effective and efficient learners, on and off campus.


Associated links

WonkHE and Kortext have recently surveyed educators and talked to sector leaders to explore the post-Covid landscape for digitally enabled higher education. They discuss their findings and impact for the future of higher education:

Example pre-arrival questionnaire used by the University of East London:

This report investigates and compares the prior learning experiences, impact of Covid-19 and expectations of A-Level and BTEC students on entry to university across two surveys undertaken between 2019 and 2021 at the Universities of Bournemouth (2019), Leeds Beckett and East London (2021).

This report investigates the financial concerns and working intentions of Level 4 students entering higher education and the implications of Covid-19 in 2020-21. It examines existing research and publishes the student expectation finance findings on entry from the Pre-arrival Academic Questionnaire undertaken across a post-1992 university in 2019-20.

This report explores changes through understanding expectations and attitudes towards postgraduate study, experiences and post-study outcomes from the perspective of applicants, students, universities and employers.


Digital poverty has been identified as an ongoing issue for our learners, and we addressed this in our third session on 21 March 2024, which was attended by around 130 people. The rapid pivot to online learning during the pandemic surfaced concerns such as unreliable access to the Internet and limited access to reliable and useful devices, all of which impact on learner studies. The cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated these challenges.


Our third event, hosted by Professor Alastair Robertson of Glasgow Caledonian University, introduced two learners from the tertiary sector - Damson Ellen and Connel Greenhorn - who shared their understandings of digital poverty and how they felt that it impacted on their studies. The learners provided specific examples and explored their institutions’ solutions. Two colleagues from Jisc, Clare Killen and Dominic Walker, provided us with an overview of the current digital poverty issues experienced by learners drawing upon their Digital Insights Survey responses.

 

Watch the presentation recording

Associated links

The Jisc digital experience insights surveys shows how students and staff are using technology, what is making a difference to their learning and working experiences, and where improvements can be made:

Jisc also developed a spotlight report - Insights into digital poverty - based on the 2022-23 higher education student digital experience insights survey data:

Presentations

The final event in our series took place on 24 April 2024 and focused on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the learning experiences of students who are parents. We were joined by two colleagues from the University of Chester: Professor Helen O’Sullivan, who chaired the session, and Dr Andrea Todd, the UK’s leading researcher into the lived experiences of student-parents. Two learners, Helen Williams and Emma Louise-Simpson, shared their experiences of being learners and parents in tertiary education and the impact of the cost-of-living on their learning. This was followed by a presentation from Dr Todd, who provided an overview of the findings of her research, covering areas such as the impact of academic and non-academic support. She offered toolkits and provided guidance about how we can ensure this group of learners flourishes in their studies. This session attracted 80 attendees.

Watch the presentation recording

Examples of practice


In this section there are examples of practice that have been implemented to support learners survive and thrive through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. A recurrent theme in all of these is collaboration, usually between an institution and its Students' Union or Students' Association. In the case of Queen Margaret University, educators were heavily involved as well. City of Glasgow College Students’ Association collaborated with the Glasgow Wellbeing Fund and Baxter-Storey. The University of St Andrews has a Community Fund specifically providing financial support to community groups and activities from across the Kingdom of Fife.


All examples of practice address food insecurity alongside fuel poverty, as well as offering general advice, support and budgetary guidance. Underpinning all of these initiatives, is the desire to developing places and communities which support, rather than stigmatise, those who need help.


Also, the University of Edinburgh and its Students Association and Sports Union have worked together with the mental health charity, Charlie Waller Trust to produce a video for students about supporting each other during the cost-of-living crisis.


City of Glasgow College Students' Association


Two initiatives addressing food insecurity have been led by the City of Glasgow College Students’ Association - the Free Breakfast campaign and the Student Pantry. The former enables students at both campuses to have a free ‘Student Breakfast Deal’ of toast or porridge and a hot drink. The Student Pantry provides, free-of-charge, a quick snack or a hot drink to learners to sustain them whilst on campus. Students who have been referred by members of guidance can also collect cupboard items to take home with them.

View example of practice

Queen Margaret University


‘The Thank Goodness It’s Thursday’ initiative at Queen Margaret University (QMU) was originally envisaged to help build a sense of community after the Covid pandemic but grew into a collaborative response between staff and the Student’s Union to address fuel and food poverty. Every Thursday evening, all QMU learners can meet in the University canteen for a free hot meal, in a warm space, with opportunities to chat with staff.

View example of practice

University of St Andrews


The institution established a Taskforce to identify and bring to fruition activities that would mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Consequently, initiatives such as campus food discounts and a university-wide bus discount for students and staff were introduced. A campus larder - a community hub with a range of items from cereal to milk, toiletries and more - was established by student volunteers. The University of St Andrews Community Fund provides financial support to community groups and activities across the Kingdom of Fife. In response to the cost-of-living crisis, it funded local projects, including ‘Heat and Eat’ projects, a laundry initiative, two repair cafes and food growing programmes, and money and energy advice projects.

View example of practice

Help and advice offered by Scottish higher education institutions


Institutions across Scotland continue to respond to the cost-of-living crisis. A snapshot of some of the advice offered by institutions for learners is available on the websites below. Guidance is provided about tackling food and fuel poverty. Estimates are offered about the cost-of-living in the local area, helping learners to budget financially along with transport tips and signposting where to find part-time work. Laptop loan schemes are detailed as well as links about warm places to study in the institution. Detailed information is available about scholarships, hardship funds, and bursaries seeking to help learners cope with the cost-of-living crisis. Particular guidance is often given for international learners.