Support for part-time study and disabled students: Survey for students, potential students, parents and carers

The consultation questions are included here for your reference. Please click 'Begin consultation' at the bottom of this page to proceed.

1. At what level are you currently studying, planning to study, or have previously studied? 

2. Are you currently studying, planning to study, or have studied a part-time or distance learning course?

Can you please explain further the reasons for this?

Can you explain in what way it has or has not helped you?

Do you feel the current eligibility criteria for the Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG) work on focusing support for students who need it the most?

Can you please explain further the reasons for this?  

Would the introduction of living cost support (which could include bursaries and/or student loans) for part-time or distance learning study affect your learning and study habits?

If ‘yes’, can you please tell us how it might affect your learning and study habits?

The introduction of living cost support for part-time or distance learning study would mean the same eligibility criteria being used as it is for full-time study. Do you agree with this?

If ‘no’, can you tell us why you think eligibility criteria between full-time and part-time or distance learning study should be different?

Can you please explain further the reasons for this?

If you have discussed your needs with a Needs Assessor or Disability Advisor, what support did they recommend for you? 

If ‘no’, can you please explain further the reasons for this?

If ‘no’, please tell us how that impacted on your experience as a student.

If you have received DSA or are currently receiving DSA, would you make any changes that would improve your experience?

If ‘yes’, can you please provide details on what improvements you would like to see and why.

In your opinion, is it helpful for students to have different allowances and limits or do you think that a single DSA allowance limit would better support students?

Can you please explain why this is your preferred option?

Would you prefer that financial support for disabled students in further education continued to be managed by the colleges or would you rather funding was paid directly to the student, and for the student to manage additional costs?

Can you explain why this is your preferred option?

If ‘no’, can you please tell us why?

About us

We are the Learner Experience Division, within the Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Skills of the Scottish Government. Our head office is located at 150 Broomielaw, 5 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow, G2 8LU.

About this privacy notice

This privacy notice is for anyone who wishes to take part in and respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Citizen Space on Support for Part-Time Study and Disabled Students. It explains how your personal data will be collected, used and handled for the purposes of this Scottish Government Citizen Space consultation which is open from 26 June to 9 October 2025.

The Scottish Ministers are the “data controller”. The data controller decides what personal data is collected from you as part of this consultation.

An independent Social Research Contractor appointed by the Scottish Government will be the “data processor” and they will analyse and report on the responses received to both the student and stakeholder questions on Citizen Space.

This means that the appointed Contractor will have access to the responses submitted on Citizen Space and via Respondent Information Forms (RIF). They will be responsible for logging and analysing all of the responses received in response to the Citizen Space consultation. They will also write a report with the findings of this consultation on behalf of the Scottish Government. This report will be publicly available and published on the Scottish Government website.

About The Contractor

The Scottish Government will appoint a social research contractor to undertake independent and robust analysis and reporting of the responses received to this consultation on Citizen Space.

Why we need your personal information?

We are gathering information and views on the experience of part-time, distance learning, and disabled students in Further and Higher Education and the institutional and financial support they receive from educational providers and the Scottish Government.

We are also gathering information and views about how changes to the existing model of support might impact on student’s studies. This information will help us to consider future support to ensure we continue to meet the needs of students.

Personal Information is anything that can identify you in some way. Responses to all personal information questions are voluntary, and you can choose how much or little personal information to include. However in order to respond via Citizen Space, you are required to submit your e-mail address. Providing your e-mail address on Citizen Space also allows you to access and change the response you submit to Citizen Space.

If you respond to this consultation on Citizen Space, we will collect:

• Your name and e-mail address
• Your place within the education system e.g. if you are currently a student, if you have caring responsibilities as a parent or carer, an education provider, an organisation supporting part-time, distance learning, and disabled students.
• If you are responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation
• Any other information you choose to provide in your answers to the consultation questions, for example about your caring responsibilities, or your financial and health status.

If you respond to this consultation via the Scottish Government’s standard Respondent Information Form (RIF) which can be downloaded from www.gov.scot, we will request:

• Your name and postal address.
• Your e-mail address.
• Your phone number.
• Your place within the education system e.g. if you are currently a student, if you have caring responsibilities as a parent or carer, an education provider, an organisation supporting part-time, distance learning, and disabled students.
• If you are responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation
• Any other information you choose to provide in your answers to the consultation questions, for example about your caring responsibilities, or your financial and health status.

 Respondents also have the option in the Respondent Information Form to let the Scottish Government know if they are content to be contacted by the Scottish Government in the future in relation to this consultation exercise or if they prefer to opt out of this. Respondents can do this by selecting Yes or No to this question.

Some personal information is called ‘special category data’ as it is more important or sensitive. Information about your health status is ‘special category data’.

This consultation is asking questions about the experience of Further and Higher Education students who have a disability, long-term impairment, and/or additional learning needs. We do not specifically ask details about your health as part of this consultation. It is up to you whether this is something you want to include if you feel it is relevant. All special category data is kept safe and secure.

What is our lawful basis for requesting and processing your data?

When we use any of your personal information, we have to have a legal reason for using it. The legal reason we are using is ‘Public Task’. This means that we are carrying out this consultation in the public interest. (Article 6 (1) (e) Public Task, carried out in the public interest)

 When we ask for special category personal information, we must have another legal reason for doing so which is called a ‘condition’. For this consultation, the condition is statutory and government purposes. (Article 9 (2) (g) Statutory and government purposes)

What happens to the information you provide and how is your privacy protected?

You can respond to this consultation through Citizen Space, or by sending a Respondent Information Form (RIF) by e-mail or by post. Only the information required for the consultation will be used. Any personal information will be deleted at the earliest possible opportunity – unless you have given us permission to contact you again, should we need to, about this consultation.

 All responses to the consultation will be reviewed and analysed. This will be done by an independent social research company commissioned by the Scottish Government. Analysis from the responses will be used to create a report for publication on the Scottish Government website, and to advise Scottish Ministers.

 Responses will be published anonymously, unless you have specifically given permission for your name to be included. The government will consider the range of views provided and responses will inform potential policy improvements or changes to help best support part-time, distance learning and disabled students in Scotland.

Where and how long your information is retained

All personal data are stored securely and confidentially under the terms of data protection and in line with international best practice.

The Scottish Government will only retain your data in a way that can identify you for as long as is necessary to support the consultation exercise and findings. Your personal data will be deleted at the end of the project or earlier if no longer needed.

All consultation responses analysed and reported by the Scottish Government contractor in order to prepare the final consultation analysis report will be deleted 12 months after the final report is signed off by the Scottish Government.

Your rights

Data protection legislation gives rights to individuals in respect of the personal data that organisations hold about them. These include the right to:

• be informed about the collection and use of your personal data;
• access a copy of the information an organisation holds about them;
• rectify any information they think is inaccurate or incomplete;
• restrict the processing of their information in certain circumstances;
• object to processing that is likely to cause or is causing damage or distress;
• complain to a supervisory authority if they are unhappy with the way in which their data has been processed.

Questions or queries

You can ask for a copy of any personal information that we have about you. This is called a ‘Subject Access Request’.

You also have the right to ask us to change any information that is wrong, for example if you update your email address. You can do this by emailing SFS_Policy@gov.scot.

Please contact us at dpa@gov.scot if you wish to make a request or contact our Central Enquiries Unit on 0300 244 4000.

To find out more about the rights you have over your personal data, please visit the ICO website Your data matters | ICO.

Complaints

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. If you are unhappy with the way your personal data are being collected or processed, you can report it to

The Information Commissioner (ICO)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk
You can also report any concerns online