If you are considering starting a course, it is a good idea to plan and be aware of the costs in advance. In most cases, your income is assessed to see what you are eligible for, and there is different support depending on the type of course you want to take. This means that if you have not lived outside the UK (apart from being away temporarily or occasionally) you are likely to meet the residency requirements.
However, if you are not sure whether you meet the conditions of residence, we would advise you to contact the college (for higher education courses) or the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) (for higher education courses). If you are not a UK or other EU citizen, you must also be resident in the UK as defined by the Immigration Act 1971 on the first day of the first academic year of the course. For a higher education course, SAAS will decide whether you are eligible to apply to them for support as set out in the Students' Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (as amended).
This allows for times when you are out of the country temporarily or occasionally for things like holidays or business trips and can cover you if you or someone in your family is sent out of the country temporarily by their employer. To qualify for an EMA, you must meet the applicable criteria, which include household income (see below), age, residency status and the course you are studying must be applicable. If you are enrolled in school, the program is managed by your Local Education Authority.
If you are a full-time student, you will generally not have to pay fees as long as you meet certain conditions.
Full-time students in Further Education
Fees
Living costs
There is no age limit on student grants, so if you are eligible for scholarship support, you may be eligible for travel and study expenses. If you are under 18 and eligible for EMA, the student benefit will not be assessed in relation to your income.
Help for your dependants
Care Experienced students
Dependant’s Allowance
Childcare costs
Help for disabled students
Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance
Travel Costs
Extra Help
Studying outside Scotland
Higher Education
Full-time students in Higher Education
Studying in Scotland Fees
Student loans
Young Students’ Bursary
Independent Students’ Bursary
Care Experienced Students’ Bursary
Scottish Government Health Directorate Bursary
Nursing and Midwifery
This applies to student loans, the Young and Independent Student Grant and all other grants except the Disabled Student Allowance and the Care Accommodation Grant.
Tuition fees
If you are a Scottish student studying in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can claim the same support available to those studying in Scotland.
Studying a year of your course abroad
Portability Pilot
Studying an entire course abroad
Adult Dependant’s Grant
Lone Parent’s Grant
Childcare Fund Support
Eligible single parent students with formally registered childcare costs can claim an entitlement of up to £1,215 from this fund. Further support may also be available, but this fund is managed by institutions and they are responsible for deciding what payments to give to students.
Travel costs
Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA)
Non-medical personal assistance is reimbursement of up to £20,520 per year for non-medical personal assistance (for example, for a reader if you are blind, or for someone to take notes for you). You may also be able to receive compensation for your travel costs if you are unable to use public transport and have to pay additional costs due to your disability.
Extra help
Discretionary Funds
Care-experienced Accommodation Grant
Funding for postgraduate courses
Postgraduate Loans
Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
Funding from a Research Council
Other funding
Help for disabled students on a postgraduate course
Part-time students
Part-time Further Education
If you are a part-time student, you are also one of the priority groups eligible for childcare support. You may also be eligible for support for appropriate study and travel expenses, as well as the Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance. Please contact your college for more information and to find out what help you may be able to get.
Part-time Higher Education
Your college or university may be able to provide you with additional support from their part-time discretionary fund. Colleges and universities can offer flexible support to part-time students, which you can use for study costs, travel costs and childcare costs. The college or university will base this on your individual needs rather than a fixed income level. If you are disabled and are distance learning or studying part-time, you may also be eligible for the Disabled Student's Allowance (DSA) (see page 21), which is not dependent on your income.
Provided that you study for at least 50% of the length of the full-time course (for Open University students this is the equivalent of 60 credits per year) and you do not take more than twice the duration of the standard full-time course to to complete your studies. More information about part-time postgraduate funding can be found at http://www.saas.gov.uk/part_time/pg/funding_available.htm. For more information about support for students on a part-time Higher Education course, please contact SAAS, your university, college, Open University or SDS.
Learning while you work
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships
Graduate Apprenticeships
Further Information about Apprenticeships
The Employability Fund
SDS Individual Training Accounts
Community Based Adult Learning
Adult literacy and numeracy – help with reading writing and numbers
Partnership Action for Continuing Employment
Other sources of funding
Educational trusts and scholarships
Sponsorships and scholarships
Ministry of Defence service leavers
Benefits
Benefits for living costs
Disabled students receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA0) can stay on income-related ESA. In Higher Education, UC will either not be paid or will be paid with a reduced fee during the academic year due to a student loan or grant, but you must take full UC during the summer between academic years of the course.
Housing Benefit
Council Tax
Benefits for Carers
Health Benefits
More Information
Skills Development Scotland (SDS)
Colleges
Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
You can also find out more about CPAG in the Scottish Students and Benefits Project at https://cpag.org.uk/projects/students-and-benefits.
Scottish Refugee Council
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
