Extra cash for colleges and housing has been approved as part of the Scottish Government's Budget.
Finance Secretary John Swinney also announced more money for roads and to boost the country's broadband infrastructure.
His spending plans included £382 million worth of additional capital spending over the next three years, which the Scottish Government said would support about 5,000 jobs. Mr Swinney said in preparing the Budget for 2012-13 he had "acted decisively in the interest of our economy, our public services and the people of Scotland".
He insisted: "The Scottish Government has delivered a Budget for growth." He told MSPs that his spending plan "underpins the approach this Government is taking to accelerate economic recovery, support economic growth and improve public services in Scotland".
Overall the Scottish Government's Budget for 2012-12 allocates £28.3 billion of public cash.
Opposition politicians and others had been calling on the Finance Secretary to find extra money for colleges and housing. He responded by pledging an extra £11.4 million for student support, together with a further £8 million for the Scottish Funding Council to go to colleges in the coming year.
Mr Swinney said that came on top of £20 million of extra funding already announced for colleges, adding: "That is £40 million of additional investment which should leave no one in a shadow of doubt about the strength of this administration's commitment to our colleges and to Scotland's students."
Housing gets an extra £97 million over four years, although this includes £10 million of already-announced cash for council house building. But there will be an £45 million over the period 2012-13 to 2014-15 for affordable housing, while £42 million will fund loans and equity investment, with some of this being used to fund the expansion of shared equity schemes.
Other "key areas" Mr Swinney said would receive "substantial" additional funding were digital infrastructure and transport. There will be £68 million, spread over the next three years, to boost broadband services.
Meanwhile the roads network will benefit from £72 million additional investment over the next three years, while £13 million will go to funding "active travel", focusing on cycling and walking infrastructure. The £382 million new capital spending pledged by Mr Swinney also includes £60 million for health boards and £54 million for local government, while the Scottish Prison Service will get £20 million.
