Table 3S - Breakdown of cash and cash equivalents as at 31 July - Scotland 2015/16 to 2021/22

Type of data

Administrative data

Data source

HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) is part of Jisc. We are the experts in UK higher education data and analysis. We have been collecting higher education information since the 1994/95 academic year.

Finance data is taken from the HESA Finance record, which universities, colleges and other higher education providers return to HESA on an annual basis. The Finance record collects a range of information about the primary financial statements from HE providers' published accounts.

From 2018/19, data for English HE providers (excluding further education colleges and sixth form colleges under the primary regulation of the Education and Skills Funding Agency) was collected by the Office for Students.

We provide data and analysis on finances of HE providers to a wide variety of customers, including:

• Governments
• Universities (via the Heidi Plus analytics tool)
• Academic and commercial researchers
• Students and potential students
• Trade unions and employers' associations
• Policy makers.

Our data is used to regulate the sector, inform policy making, advance understanding of social and economic trends, support decision making, and enhance public understanding of - and confidence in - the higher education sector.

Related releases

Our HE Provider Data: Finance data pages collect together all of the tables we publish on finances in higher education.

Further information

• Definitions - Finances
• Data intelligence - Finances
• It may be helpful to refer to the information disclosed in a provider’s financial statements to help understand or contextualise the figures presented.

This table displays balance sheet data under the main headings and is also known as the statement of financial position as renamed in FRS102.

The radio buttons ‘Assets’, ‘Creditors’, and ‘Provisions and reserves’ are available to narrow down data access.

View Table 3 - Consolidated balance sheet

This table is a snapshot of the value of assets and liabilities of the provider at the balance sheet date, i.e., the financial year end date.

It is a summary of all assets that the provider owns and liabilities that the provider owes. Liabilities may also be referred to as creditors. At any given time, it shows how much money the provider would have left over if they sold all their assets and paid off all their liabilities. The money left over is reserves. This is ‘value’ of net position and is not the same as cash as this ‘value’ may be tied up in assets such as buildings.

The assets on a balance sheet are set out in the order of their liquidity which is the ease with which assets can be converted into cash. Those that can be converted into cash within 12 months or less are current assets; those that cannot are non-current assets.

Non-currents assets include intangible assets, tangible assets, heritage assets and non-current investments. Current assets include stocks, receivables (debtors), current investments and cash and cash equivalents.

The split for current assets in the HESA Finance record differs slightly from model financial statements designed by the British Universities Finance Directors Group (BUFDG). The deviation from model statements is a requirement by all the four funding bodies.

Further breakdown of the data with respect to cash and cash equivalents is submitted by Scottish providers as a requirement of Scottish Funding Council which details cash and cash equivalents by restricted and unrestricted categories and those held by third parties. The other three funding bodies do not require this breakdown. Data with respect to loans to directors is submitted by providers who are incorporated as a company and registered with the OfS.

View Table 3S - Breakdown of cash and cash equivalents as at 31 July - Scotland

Creditors are arranged on the balance sheet in order of how soon they must be repaid. Creditors amounts falling due within one year are listed first followed creditors amounts falling due after more than one year.

Creditors falling due within a year are liabilities payable by the provider within twelve months of the balance sheet date. The split for creditors falling due within a year differs slightly from model financial statements designed by BUFDG. The deviation from model statements is a requirement by all funding bodies.

Data with respect to loans made by directors is submitted by providers who are incorporated as a company and registered with the OfS. In addition, data with respect to repayment of loans to funding council is required by SFC and therefore submitted by Scottish providers.

The provider’s share of net assets/liabilities in an associate is reported in the balance sheet. An associate is an entity that a provider has invested in and has significant influence in its decisions.

Creditors falling due over one year are those liabilities payable after twelve months of balance sheet date, such as a long-term bank loan. The split for creditors falling due over one year differs slightly from model financial statements designed by BUFDG. The deviation from model statements is a requirement by all funding bodies.

Data with respect to loans made by directors is submitted by providers who are incorporated as a company and registered with the OfS. Data with respect to repayment of loans to funding council is submitted by Scottish providers. 

Provisions are amounts set aside for probable and uncertain financial obligation which are believed to exist at the balance sheet date.

Restricted reserves are funds that have restriction on their use. They can be endowment or other funds received with restrictions from the donor or sponsor.

Unrestricted reserves are the value of the provider’s accumulated surpluses/deficits with no restrictions on how they can be spent. This may also be called general reserve.

If the provider is a company, its share capital including share premium is displayed. This data is collected by OfS for English providers.

This table collects data retrospectively for as at the year-end date of the latest audited financial year. It also collects restated data to previously submitted information for the one year prior as comparison to the current year.

This table helps stakeholders and analysts evaluate the overall financial position of a company and its ability to pay for its operating needs. There are several subsets of information available that can be used to gain an understanding of both the short-term and long-term view of financial status. It is important to note that trend analysis and use of other health indicators is advisable to assess the financial health and wealth of the provider.