The cost-of-living crisis and student vulnerability
The cost-of-living crisis is affecting everyone, but inevitably, the most vulnerable are the most badly affected. This is truer than ever where students are concerned. Colleges in Scotland and elsewhere are already well-known for supporting vulnerable students. With the help of data from the UNIT-e education management system, they can do much more.
While students from the most deprived areas have long faced a range of challenges – from food poverty to trauma of many kinds – the cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating the effects, so that knowing how to support these vulnerable students is increasingly important.
Many colleges provide practical support, such as free breakfasts or tailored learning plans, to ensure that no student is left behind. However, there is even more that can be done to increase inclusivity and enhance the experience of students – so they flourish emotionally, academically and, in the long-term, professionally. And the good news is that it can be done with a student engagement platform that most Scottish colleges already have.
Strengthening support through data
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation website (SIMD) is a key data source for colleges seeking to recruit students from deprived areas. This supports:
- Meeting targets for vulnerable students in the college’s community.
- Attracting essential funding.
- Targeting marketing campaigns more effectively.
Once recruited, supporting, and retaining students from these more deprived backgrounds is an ongoing challenge – one that UNIT-e can help address.
Empowering colleges to support vulnerable students
UNIT-e is used by twelve of Scotland’s thirteen Further Education colleges. One lesser-known feature is its reporting function, which enables cross-referencing of SIMD postcode data with student records. This allows colleges to:
- Identify the areas of deprivation among current students.
- Tailor support and retention and day-to-day activities.
- Promote learning progress and drive academic attainment.
As Gold Sponsors of the College Development Network Awards 2024, UNIT-e MIS for post-16 education recognises the work of colleges and educators in supporting vulnerable students and provides the tools to help them continue to achieve that important goal.
Funding ready. Inspection ready. Every day.
Run your post-16 education institution on a single MIS, from enquiry to alumni, so leaders get information in real time, teams cut admin, and students stay on track.
