Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposed closure of the Alloa campus of Forth Valley College in 2026, and reported concerns regarding skills shortages and a 17% real-terms reduction to college funding, what action it will take to secure the future of the campus, in order to retain its students and maintain the provision of skills education in the area.
As colleges operate independently of Government, it is for them to decide on operational matters such as their campus footprint, taking into account the needs of the people, region and communities they serve.
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) continuously monitors the college sector to ensure sustainable and coherent provision, engaging with institutions as needed. As such, the SFC has been engaging intensively with Forth Valley College for a number of months regarding the Alloa campus and they are working together at pace to resolve the issue and support the College’s financial sustainability.
In recognition of the vital role colleges play in communities across Scotland, all colleges received a 4.9% increase to support college maintenance in 2025-26, and Forth Valley College received a 2.3% uplift to the College's resource allocation.
The Scottish Government is working collaboratively with the SFC and Colleges Scotland through the Tripartite Alignment Group to identify and implement flexibilities to support colleges. To date, the Group has created the conditions to improve the financial sustainability of the sector with the introduction of the SFC’s College Transformation Framework, and the new asset disposals process; and is supporting colleges to maximise commercial income.