A cross-party review of university funding announced by the Scottish government has been criticised by academics and think‑tank authors as deferring urgent decisions on the sector’s financial sustainability. Enlighten researchers and former officials said the review risks pushing hard choices past the May 2026 parliamentary election and ignores the need to consider the tertiary system as a whole, including colleges and vocational pathways. The paper’s authors—Huw Morris of UCL and Des McNulty, a former Scottish minister—argued that the review’s narrow remit and lengthy timetable could be perceived as a political tactic to take a contentious issue off the immediate agenda. Their analysis notes that 11 of Scotland’s 19 universities face operational deficits for 2025-26 and that nearly all colleges are forecast to run shortfalls, signalling system-wide distress. Observers say the review must address scale, objectives of public funding, and system design rather than only internal institutional arrangements; otherwise lawmakers risk repeated fiscal crises across post‑16 education.