THE cost of the new Fife College has shot up by more than 50 per cent to £155 million.

The building and facilities at Halbeath, which will complete the Dunfermline Learning Campus when it opens next year, was previously described as a £100m project.

A spokesperson for the college said it was now £154.9m and explained: "In line with other current public sector capital builds the project has experienced capital cost pressures.

"The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council (SFC) remain committed to the project and have agreed to provide additional funding to meet these pressures.

“Progress on site construction continues well and the college looks forward to welcoming students to the new campus in the 2025-26 academic year.”

The government was already providing extra finance, through the SFC, to ensure the college's new building went "beyond net zero targets".

It's being funded in a different way from the two new high schools - St Columba's and Woodmill - which opened on the campus last week.

They were paid for upfront by Fife Council with the government providing revenue funding to meet ongoing costs.

The cost hike was confirmed by education secretary Jenny Gilruth, who was given an update on the new college last week.

She said it was crucial that learning establishments are fit for the future and added: "That is why the Scottish Government is providing up to £154.5m in capital investment to support Fife College’s vision for Dunfermline Learning Campus."

Higher and Further Education minister Graeme Dey MSP joined her and representatives from the SFC for a recent tour.

Construction partners Balfour Beatty showed the group the latest progress as work continues at pace, using the latest construction processes to ensure the building is net-zero ready.

Ms Gilruth, a former St Columba's teacher, said: “I have no doubt that these state-of-the-art facilities will be a huge asset for students in supporting the development of their skills, whilst playing an important role in supporting the economy of both the local area and wider across Scotland.”

Principal Jim Metcalfe said: "The significant investment that the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council are making into our new campus, at a time of financial challenge across the public sector, is an invaluable commitment to driving the college and regional economy forward.”

More than 17,000 students currently study either full-time or part-time at Fife College, which also hosts the Carnegie Conference Centre, a university hub and the Andrew Carnegie Business School.

This week they welcomed a record intake of 350 first-year modern apprentices.

New starts in engineering, construction, automotive, plumbing, gas engineering and life sciences have all started their journey across the college’s Rosyth, Dunfermline and Glenrothes campuses.

It includes, for the second year running, a record number of 160 engineering modern apprentices, up from 133 last year.

The college has worked with 43 employers to provide more opportunities for local engineers to earn while they learn.