Colleges net extra Pounds 1.4m

SCOTTISH education minister Brian Wilson this week announced an extra Pounds 1.4 million for Scottish further education in recognition of colleges' "critical role in lifelong learning".

But the money has been targeted at only 19 of Scotland's 46 further education colleges, with Mr Wilson warning that he did not wish resources to be spread too thinly.

Fifteen colleges have won "transitional relief" worth almost Pounds 800,000 to help them cope with changes in the Scottish Office funding methodology.

They have been given compensation if their grant in the first year of the changes is less than it would have been under the old methodology.

Twelve colleges share Pounds 536,000 as a reward for above average increases in income generated from fees, which is effectively pooled for the sector.

Mr Wilson said: "At the moment, this benefits the further education sector as a whole, but not necessarily the colleges in question."

He added: "These allocations help to redress the balance."

John Wheatley College, which has won Pounds 45,000 in transitional relief, and Pounds 21,000 for fee income, has also been given Pounds 68,000 to compensate it for having no full- time higher education courses, preventing it benefiting from prospective tuition fee income.

Mr Wilson explained: "Colleges this year will have Pounds 9.4 million more to spend as a result of this government's policies, in comparison with the plans of the previous administration."