Whether it is considering reviewing the reported cap on domestic university student numbers, in light of Scotland's universities' reported …

Through the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) annual allocations process, universities are allocated funding for the provision of funded undergraduate places for eligible Scottish domiciled students. It is then for the universities themselves to decide how to distribute these places along with postgraduate and alternatively funded undergraduate places between faculties and the courses they offer. Universities are responsible for their own admissions policies but should consider their long-term stability by actively diversifying their international student intake and seeking alternative funding sources. Indicative allocations of funding for 2025-26 will be published on SFC’s website in the next few weeks.Scotland’s first International Education Strategy, published in February last year, highlighted the positive impact that international students make to our universities, colleges, communities, and economy.Through the SFC, we invest over £1.1bn for teaching and research in Scotland’s universities and this investment in university education ensures that Scottish domiciled and international students benefit from the learning provided by our world-class universities in near-record numbers. We have boosted financing for the entire university sector by £27 million, or 3.5%, as part of the 2025-26 budget, which is higher than the 3.1% increase that English universities receive through tuition fees. It’s important to be clear that institutions across the UK often cross-subsidise teaching and research activities through other sources of income, this practice is common across the UK under different funding models.