The personal details of nearly 1500 Scottish students have been lost in the post in a new case of wholesale data loss by government services.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC), which distributes money to universities and colleges on behalf of the government, said paper copies of a survey of students from seven colleges went missing two weeks ago.

According to the SFC, eight boxes of the completed surveys were sent by courier from a market research company in Glasgow to an Edinburgh consultancy firm, but only three arrived.

The forms contain personal data including names and addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, gender and ethnic background. They do not include bank or national insurance details.

The seven institutions involved were Dundee College, Aberdeen College, Adam Smith College in Fife, Anniesland College in Glasgow, the Barony College near Dumfries, North Highland College and Edinburgh's Telford College.

Roger McClure, the SFC's chief executive, said the contract for the survey work contained clear requirements on handling personal information and compliance with the Data Protection Act.

He went on to apologise for the lapse and said the SFC was writing to all the students involved.

"I very much regret that this has taken place and offer my personal apologies to the students concerned," he said. "We are now taking extra steps to prevent such a loss recurring."

Last night, James Alexander, president of NUS Scotland, warned those whose data had been lost to change internet or bank passwords if they were based around their date of birth or name.

"This is very disappointing and we have to make sure this sort of mistake doesn't happen again," he said. "We would advise people to change internet passwords or bank passwords if they may be compromised.

"We would also encourage students to continue to take part in these surveys - they are very important as a way of improving the sector, to make it better for students."

Assurances have been given that the data loss was not connected to personal records held on file at individual colleges.

The SFC commissioned the survey last year to find out more about how students chose courses. Edinburgh-based York Consulting was contracted to carry out the work and subcontracted the interviews to Glasgow-based market research firm, Research Resource.

On December 13, the research firm dispatched eight boxes containing 2200 completed surveys by City Link courier to York Consulting in the capital. Only three arrived and efforts to retrieve the missing boxes, which contain about 1500 forms, failed. The SFC was informed on January 14.

It was revealed in November that HM Revenue and Customs had lost two computer discs containing the names, addresses, dates of birth and bank account details of every child benefit claimant in the UK.

Shortly afterwards, it emerged that the details of three million learner drivers were lost after being sent to Iowa, in the US.

York Consulting has set up a phone line, 0131 270 6056, for any students anxious about the loss of their data. The remaining 700 survey forms are secure; the SFC has written to those students to inform them their data has not been lost.