Send a message to the new First Minister

John Swinney has been confirmed as Scotland's new First Minister.

From cost of living, to housing and transport, students across Scotland continue to face multiple crises. Our colleges and universities have been underfunded for too long and the recent cuts will only make it worse.

NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall has written a letter to John Swinney, outlining three key asks.

NUS will continue fighting for students and we need John Swinney's government to listen to students, and fight for students too. Send him a message by typing in the box in the top right.


Your responses will be relayed in NUS Scotland's engagements with the government, and may be used as anonymous quotes on social media.

Recent responses

  • Everyone should have access to education and for many the only route is FE. FE also is responsible for many employment opportunities! College graduates are extremely likely to gain employment – can the same really be said for university graduates??! Stop putting up barriers to education and employment – support FE!
  • Please look after FE and our students! End the dispute and let us all get back to creating a Scotland we can all be proud of!
  • Reconsider the budget cut to the University of the West of Scotland
  • Help support students financially through cost of living crisis.
  • Please help your students, too many students are homeless and staying in hotels or on friends’ couches. this is not the country that i grew up believing supports students. if affordable housing in university areas cannot be provided then a reasonable adjustment must be made to SAAS. scotland prides itself as a country wherein working class individuals can attain higher education however free tuition is not the whole story of students’ expenses and you know that through common sense as well as i do through lived experience. if this government truly believes in advocating for a classless educated society then students must be supported to the fullest extent possible.
  • We ask that you help keep FE alive for current and future students.


    College lecturers and support staff need job security and fair pay.


    Moving forward colleges need fair working practices and better governance. Industrial relations need to be reset and college staff should not need to take industrial action just to get fair pay and fair conditions.
  • Make bursaries higher and give NHs staff a decent wage rise