Scottish Government

Full-Time

As long as certain conditions are met, full-time students do not generally pay fees.

You may also be entitled to:

• help with living costs (yourself and your dependant);
• help with travel, books and equipment;
• help towards childcare; and
• extra help (hardship funds).

Full-time Further Education Students

Fees

No eligible full-time student will be required to pay fees provided that certain residency requirements are met. Check with your chosen college if you are in any doubt.

Living Costs

You could receive a non-repayable bursary of up to £84.69 per week, but this will depend on age, family circumstances and income. To be eligible for a bursary, a student must meet certain residence criteria. If your household income is above the levels set out below, your family will be expected to contribute to your support.

The basic allowance per week is as follows:

* If you are a school leaver going to college you may be eligible for an Education Maintenance Allowance (described on page 6).

† This allowance may be paid in addition to an Education Maintenance Allowance.

N/A= Not Applicable.

You may also be eligible for an additional allowance to cover certain study costs such as:

• items that are essential to the course (such as essential texts but not additional reading);
• items that are required for health and safety reasons; or
• mandatory study trips.

If you are aged under 18, this allowance is not means-tested.

Help for for Those You Support Financially

Dependants' Allowance

You may be able to apply for a Dependants' Allowance of £48.27 per week if you have financial, care or legal responsibility for an adult. This allowance is also income assessed and family circumstances and dependant's income will be taken into account.

Childcare Costs

Colleges have a Childcare Fund which is used to help pay for registered childcare. The priority groups for childcare support are lone parent students, mature students and part-time students, however this does not exclude full-time students from applying. Support from this fund is additional to bursary funding, and is available to meet the costs of registered childcare only. Some colleges may offer different methods of childcare support and provision, for example, on-site nurseries or childcare vouchers.

Help for Disabled Students

Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance

Students who incur additional costs because of their disability can apply for an Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance. This allowance offers additional travel and study help to students with disabilities, on top of other disability grants and benefits, and is not means-tested.

Travel Costs

Students can apply for help with travel expenses which arise from attending an approved course of study, depending on eligibility criteria laid out by the college. Additional travel expenses may be available for students with dependent children, or with additional support needs. If you are under 18 this allowance is not means tested.

Additional Help

Every college operates a Hardship Fund and students with particular financial difficulties or emergency needs can apply for assistance. Hardship Funds are specifically targeted to help students who have financial difficulties that might prevent them gaining access to Further or Higher Education, or continuing their course. Colleges also have discretion to provide payments from the Hardship Funds to students who are moving from the benefit system to take a course.

Studying Outside Scotland

All the financial support described above is only available if you are studying at a Scottish College. If you want to study a Further Education ( FE) course at a college outwith Scotland, you will need to contact your local authority to see what funding they can provide.

Further Education

You should contact your chosen college for more information on the support that is available and for advice on how to apply for these funds.

More information on EMA age and income eligibility is available onwww.emascotland.com

Here are some examples of help you may be able to receive:

Johanne is a school leaver going to college

Johanne started the Introduction to Care programme at her local college. This programme is designed as an entry level to further education for young school leavers who may not have achieved academically at school and who want to gain some insight into Care as a career.

Johanne was 16 when she was accepted onto the programme and as her parents' income is less than £21,302 she receives the full Education Maintenance Allowance of £30 a week. This, along with the two bonuses of £150, supported her financially whilst she gained the skills and academic qualifications to progress to further level study.

During her three years at college, Johanne gained skills and enhanced her caring qualities, and will be successful both academically and professionally. The EMA scheme gave her the opportunity to commence college at an appropriate level and she has been able to progress at the correct pace since then.

Robert, married, is studying a year-long course in photography

Robert is 28 and married. He is currently unemployed and has decided to achieve his long-term ambition of a career in photography. As a first step, he chooses a one-year course in photography at his local college. That gives him the option of finding a job or going on to take more qualifications later, as his family circumstances allow.

Robert's tuition fees are paid and he receives a maintenance bursary to help with general living expenses. As his wife's income is below £19,630 he will be eligible for £84.69 per week towards his living expenses.

He also qualifies for Travel and Study Allowances to meet the cost of bus fares to the college and to buy a professional camera for his course.

And if he finds the going really hard, he can turn to the college Hardship Fund for financial help to stay on his course.

Full-Time Higher Education Students

Fees

Most full-time students do not have to pay for the cost of their course. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS) will pay the tuition fees for eligible students studying at publicly funded institutions in Scotland. You must still apply to SAAS for payment of tuition fees even if you are not applying for any other means of support.

Living Costs

Student Loans

The main source of help with living expenses is through an income-assessed student loan. Income assessed means that your own "unearned income" and your parents'/ spouse's/civic partner's income is taken into account when calculating the size of loan or bursary you might get. The maximum loan is £4,400 for students living away from home, and £3,485 for those living at home. An additional loan of £575 is available to young students from families with an income of up to £20,695.

Young Student Bursary

Some students under 25 may qualify for a bursary (a means tested non-repayable grant) of up to £2,510 a year instead of part of the loan, so it reduces the amount of loan you need to take out. It is available whether you live with your parents or live away from home during term time. The maximum bursary of £2,510 a year is paid to you if your family income is under £18,360 a year. The amount of bursary tapers down to zero if your family income is £32,515 a year.

Examples of the support available for 2007-08 are:

* These figures incorporate both the bursary and loan support

Monthly Payments

From 2007-08, Scottish students studying undergraduate courses at Scottish institutions will have their loans, bursaries and all grants paid monthly. This will apply to student loans, the Young Students Bursary and all other grants with the exception of Disabled Students Allowance, Care Leavers Grant and Travel Expenses.

Further details on monthly payments will be provided in award letters from SAAS and the Student Loans Company. Information is also available at: www.saas.gov.uk

NHS Bursary - Degrees in Allied Health Professions ( AHPs)

Students on degree courses in AHPs will have different funding arrangements consisting of a Scottish Executive Health Bursary and loan. If you think you may be one of these students you should contact SAAS for more details.

The relevant courses are:

• dental hygiene
• dietetics
• orthoptics
• radiography
• language therapy
• dental therapy
• podiatry
• occupational therapy
• physiotherapy
• speech therapy
• prosthetics and orthotics

Dentistry and Medicine

Students on degree courses in dentistry and medicine are entitled to the same student support package as most other students in years 1 to 4. In years 5 and later, you are entitled to the Health Bursary and a student loan.

Nursing and Midwifery

There are different arrangements for nursing and midwifery courses. All eligible students get a bursary. In addition you may also be eligible for a childcare allowance and clinical placement expenses. Contact SAAS for further information.

Studying Outside Scotland

Tuition Fees

From September 2006 universities and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland introduced variable tuition fees. The maximum amounts for 2007-08 are shown in the table below:

Full-time Scottish students studying in England, Wales or Northern Ireland:

• you can apply to SAAS for a loan to cover the costs of fees at institutions in the rest of the UK
• your tuition fees loan of up to £3,070 a year, is not means tested and is available regardless of income
• you repay your loan only after you finish your course and start earning over £15,000 per year

Living Costs

Eligible students studying in England, Wales or Northern Ireland are entitled to a student loan which is income assessed. This means that the amount of loan will depend on your own 'unearned' income and your parents'/spouse's/civil partner's income.

An additional loan of up to £575 is available to young students from families with an income below £20,695.

Students Outside Scotland Bursary

Part of your loan may be replaced by a non-repayable income assessed bursary. New students will get a bursary of up to £2,045 per year if your household income is £18,360 or less and there are smaller bursary amounts for those with incomes up to £32,515.

In addition Scottish students are also eligible to apply for the opportunity bursaries being offered by universities and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For more information on these bursaries contact your chosen institution.

Help for Those You Support Financially

The following are not loans and do not need to be paid back.

Adult Dependants' Grant

You can claim the income assessed Adult Dependants' Grant for your husband or wife if you are legally married, or have entered into a Civic Partnership. The maximum amount payable is £2,510. If you get married after the start of a course, you can claim a Dependants' Grant for your husband or wife from the date of marriage. You cannot claim Dependants' Grant if your husband or wife also receives student support.

Lone Parents' Grant

There are special provisions for widowed, divorced, separated or single students bringing up children. If you have at least one dependent child, you can claim an additional grant of £1,240.

Additional Childcare Grant for Lone Parents

If you receive the Lone Parent's Grant you can get extra help of up to £1,155 per year to help pay your formal childcare costs. Formal childcare includes childminders, after school clubs and providers of day care and education. If your children are aged eight or under, the childcare provider must be registered with the local authority.

Childcare Fund Support

You can also apply to your institution for assistance from the Higher Education Childcare Fund. The priority groups for this childcare support are lone parents and mature students. Support from this fund is discretionary, administered by the institutions themselves, and is only available to meet the costs of formal/ registered childcare. You should contact your university or college for more information.

Travel Costs

Students can apply for help with the cost of daily travel to their college or university. If you are living away from home, you may claim three return journeys each session to and from your term-time residence, in addition to term-time travel to and from your institution. There is a maximum amount payable to eligible students and you are required to pay the first £155 of the yearly total. SAAS will only allow the most economical fares available for the type of transport you use. For example, if the cheapest fares are offered under the Student Railcard or Bus Pass Schemes, claims will be reimbursed at the cheapest rate plus the cost of the Student Railcard or Bus Pass.

Help for Disabled Students

Disabled Students' Allowance ( DSA)

Students who incur additional expenditure whilst undertaking their course because of their disability can apply for additional support in the form of the Disabled Students' Allowance ( DSA).

Three allowances comprise the DSA, all of which are subject to maximum amounts:

• The Basic Allowance is an annual allowance of up to £1,640 that you may claim towards general expenditure such as tapes, Braille paper, radio aids, medically certified special dietary needs and small items of equipment.
• Special Equipment Allowance is an allowance of up to £4,905 for the purchase of major items of equipment, for example, a word processor or a portable loop.

The maximum amount available is set at the time of your initial claim and the sum available is for the duration, not each year, of your course.

• Non-medical Personal Help is an annual allowance of up to £12,420 for non-medical personal help, for example, readers for the blind, or note takers.

Help with the cost of travel may also be provided if you incur additional transport costs as a result of your disability.

Additional Help

Hardship Funds

Students who are experiencing particular financial difficulty can apply for assistance from their institution's Hardship Funds. These funds are specifically targeted to help students who have financial difficulties. Your college or university is responsible for deciding who gets help and how much. You must have taken out your full student loan entitlement before you can receive this help.

Vacation Grant for Care Leavers

A grant of up to £100 a week is available to help students, who were previously in care, with accommodation costs. If you were in care immediately before you started your course, or were in care when you finished your compulsory schooling, you may be eligible for this grant.

Higher Education

For more information on the support that is available for Higher Education contact the Students Award Agency for Scotland on 0845 111 1711 orwww.saas.gov.uk

Here are some examples of how the support might work:

Malcolm leaves home to study for a degree

Malcolm (18) lives on a Scottish island with his widowed mother. When he won a place at Aberdeen University to take a BSc Honours in Environmental Science and Management his mother worried about how they would manage financially.

Thanks to the support available, Malcolm was able to take up his place.

As Malcolm is a dependent student and his mother earns less than £23,085 she will not have to contribute towards his support. Tuition fees are paid in full by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and Malcolm gets a Young Student Bursary, an income-assessed non-repayable grant. As his mother earns around £17,400 a year, he gets the maximum bursary of £2,510 and he is also entitled to an additional loan of £575 as he is from a low income family. Because he gets a bursary it reduces his student loan. Malcolm receives a student loan of £1,890, giving him a total living support package of £4,975.

Malcolm can also get travel expenses to meet the cost of three return flights from Stornoway to Inverness and three return train journeys between Aberdeen and Inverness over the year. He can also claim daily term time travel - which could be the cost of a bus pass less £155.

Malcolm also has a part-time job in a local bar earning up to £50 a week, these earnings do not affect his student support allowances.

Claire an independent student studying in Scotland

Claire is a 28-year-old lone parent with two small children. She is considering going to college to do an HND in media studies and wants to know what funding she will get.

As Claire is 28 she will be classed as an independent higher education ( HE) student, and she will be entitled to get the following:

• course fees paid
• a means-tested student loan, the maximum loan she can receive will be £4,400 per year (£84.69 per week)
• a lone parent's grant of £1,240 per year
• a lone parent's childcare grant of £1,155 per year towards her formal childcare costs
• help with her travel costs
• Claire must apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS) for this support
• she will not have to pay the graduate endowment as she is a lone parent receiving a lone parent's grant.

Ian an independent student studying outside Scotland

Ian is single, 32 years old, and is considering studying for a Computing Science degree at Manchester.

As he intends to study outside Scotland for his degree he will be entitled to get the following:

• his course fees will be £3,070 per year and he can apply to SAAS for a loan to cover the costs of his fees, this is not means tested. He pays the loan back only after he has finished his course and starts earning over £15,000 per year
• as long as his income is less than £18,360 per year he will also receive a bursary of £2,045 per year, and he will also get a student loan of £2,355 a year
• he must apply to SAAS for his loans and bursary
• Ian can also apply to SAAS for help with the cost of daily travel to his university. As he will be living away from home, he may claim three return journeys each session to and from his term-time residence, in addition to term-time travel to and from university, but there is a maximum amount payable
• he can also apply for the new bursaries being offered by universities in England. Ian should contact his chosen university for further information.
• he will not have to pay the graduate endowment as he is studying outside Scotland

Funding for Postgraduate Courses

Postgraduate Students' Allowances Scheme ( PSAS)

There is support available to students in Scotland for postgraduate study through the Postgraduate Students' Allowances Scheme ( PSAS), which is administered by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS). Eligible students can apply to SAAS for an award consisting of a means tested maintenance grant and payment of tuition fees. Courses supported under PSAS are generally nine month taught postgraduate diploma courses on largely vocational subjects, rather than Masters courses. Awards from PSAS are discretionary, not mandatory, so there is no guarantee of an award at postgraduate level.

Professional Graduate Diploma in Education ( PGDE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Community Education ( PGDipCE)

You may be eligible for the same funding as undergraduates unless:

• you have previously taken a postgraduate course
• your first degree has qualified you for a profession, eg doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, ministers and priests

Please check with SAAS if you want to know if your first degree qualifies you for a profession.

There is an exception in the case of teacher training for certain priority school subjects in Scotland. Students taking PGCE courses in these subjects may receive an award no matter what their previous postgraduate or undergraduate study. The exception is only available once. You can get more information from SAAS about priority subject areas for 2007-08.

Research Council Funding

Support for a postgraduate degree, such as a Masters degree or a doctorate (Ph.D), is the responsibility of one of the UK Research Councils, depending on field of study. All are independent bodies. The fact that a course lies within its remit does not oblige a Council to support all, or indeed any, students applying for awards. Research Councils each have their own rules for awarding grants to postgraduate students. Further advice or information on each of the Research Councils and the type of work which they fund can be obtained from the Research Councils direct, or from the Office of Science and Technology website, at www.ost.gov.uk/research/councils/councils.htm .

Other Funding

The majority of postgraduate students self-fund although many students at this level obtain loans from banks, seek sponsorship, receive help from educational trusts or pursue their studies on a part-time basis.

Help for Disabled Postgraduate Students

If you are a postgraduate student, you may also be eligible for DSA, provided you are not being supported by a Research Council or the Scottish Social Services Council, who can provide similar support to a DSA. The amount of basic allowance and allowance for non-medical helpers will be in proportion to the time spent on the qualification. For example, if you are studying 50% of an eligible full-time higher-education qualification, you will be able to claim 50% of these allowances.

Further advice or information on each of the Research Councils, and the type of work which they fund, can be obtained from the Research Councils direct or from the Office of Science and Technology website, atwww.ost.gov.uk/research/councils/councils.htm