Higher education
Higher education finance fact sheet, 2010/11
Tuition Fees College and university fees are currently paid for Scottish students studying fulltime higher education in Scotland for the first time. Currently tuition fees are paid by SAAS, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. www.saas.gov.uk. Tel: 0845 111 1711. These are paid direct to the college or university. Students should apply to SAAS from April onwards, once offered a place, not matter if it depends of exam results or not.
Studying outside of Scotland If a student wants to study HE at an institution in England, Wales or Northern Ireland they will have to pay tuition fees. They can apply to SAAS for a loan to cover these and may be eligible for the Students Outside Scotland Bursary. SAAS pay this bursary instead of part of their student loan - so it reduces the amount of loan they need to take out.
Going to university after completing an HNC or HND HNC into year 1 & 2 university – SAAS will continue to offer funding. HND - SAAS will usually only fund HND students going to university from their second year onwards. If starting in second year, that’s no problem. However, if starting in first year, funding might not be available for the whole course. Contact SAAS or ask the college for advice around this.
Part-time students Most students studying part-time and on distance learning courses will have to pay their own tuition fees. However, funding is available to help students who are on various benefits, on a low income or are disabled. All part-time students are means- tested and if the family income is below a certain thresh-hold, they will be eligible for free tuition (sometime called Fee Waiver).
2
Student Loans, Bursaries and Grants The main support available to cover living expenses is a student loan. Most students take this out while they are studying. The main sources of funding are available from SAAS.
options Student Loan
Student Bursary
information Everyone is entitled to a loan but the amount students can receive will vary depending on: what course they are taking; the family income and whether they choose to stay in or away from the parental home. Students will pay this back in small and manageable amounts each month as soon as they start earning over a certain amount. Currently this is set at £15,000 a year. Students will pay low interest on this loan. Students may also be entitled to a Young Student Bursary. This is available to help students from low-income families and helps reduce the amount of loan they need to take out. They don’t need to pay back bursaries. If a student is eligible for a Student Bursary they may also be eligible for an additional student loan.
Supplementary Grants
Travel expenses
There are some supplementary grants to help with living costs. The extra support students can get depends on their personal circumstances. They do not have to pay back supplementary grants. Supplementary grants students might be eligible for include: Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA), Care Leaver Grant, Lone Parent ‘s Grant, Additional Childcare Grant for Loan Parents, Dependant’s Grant.
SAAS can also help with travel expenses. Check out the SAAS website for further details as to what this does and does not cover.
3
How to apply Students should apply to SAAS for a loan and supplementary grants at the same time they apply to them to get their tuition fees paid. They should apply as soon as possible after they receive a conditional or unconditional offer of a place on a course.
How to apply
Students can apply to SAAS for any Bursaries they might be entitled to at the start of their course. For claiming travel expenses from SAAS, students normally apply online during their year of studycheck with SAAS for closing dates. To find out more: www.saas.gov.uk/student_support or Tel: 0845 111 1711.
4
Other possible support
options Universities & Colleges
information They offer a range of Discretionary Funds (or Hardship Funds), bursaries or scholarships and may have a Childcare Fund. These will be limited and for students meeting their eligibility criteria. Contact college and universities directly to find out more.
Ask SAAS to search the “Register of Educational Endowments” which gives information about Scottish trusts that may be able to help. Many of these are local, and eligibility often depends on where a student lives and was born.
Trusts
Consult “The Directory of Grant Making Trusts”, “The Grants Register” or “The Charities Digest”, which are available in the larger public reference libraries. Or search family-action-trustsearch. org.uk Young Carers or Care Leavers should contact: The Frank Buttle Trust www.buttletrust.org The Princess Royal Trust For Carers www.carers.org
Endowments / Sponsorship
Some industrial organisations and some government departments have schemes (usually competitive) for supporting students. You may be able to get information about these from your local Job Centre.
5
The South East Forum (SEF) is a partnership of 18 colleges and universities across the South East of Scotland to widen access to college and university.
Open University (Scotland)
Borders College
Carnegie College
Cumbernauld College
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh’s Telford College
Forth Valley College
Heriot-Watt University
Jewel & Esk College
Newbattle Abbey College
Oatridge College
Queen Margaret University
Scottish Agricultural College
Stevenson College
University of Edinburgh
University of Stirling
West Lothian College
www.southeastscotlandforum.ac.uk T: 0131 455 3618
The South East Forum is one of four wider access regional forums funded by the Scottish Funding Council to deliver on national priorities within its access and inclusion agenda.
Tuition Fees College and university fees are currently paid for Scottish students studying fulltime higher education in Scotland for the first time. Currently tuition fees are paid by SAAS, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. www.saas.gov.uk. Tel: 0845 111 1711. These are paid direct to the college or university. Students should apply to SAAS from April onwards, once offered a place, not matter if it depends of exam results or not.
Studying outside of Scotland If a student wants to study HE at an institution in England, Wales or Northern Ireland they will have to pay tuition fees. They can apply to SAAS for a loan to cover these and may be eligible for the Students Outside Scotland Bursary. SAAS pay this bursary instead of part of their student loan - so it reduces the amount of loan they need to take out.
Going to university after completing an HNC or HND HNC into year 1 & 2 university – SAAS will continue to offer funding. HND - SAAS will usually only fund HND students going to university from their second year onwards. If starting in second year, that’s no problem. However, if starting in first year, funding might not be available for the whole course. Contact SAAS or ask the college for advice around this.
Part-time students Most students studying part-time and on distance learning courses will have to pay their own tuition fees. However, funding is available to help students who are on various benefits, on a low income or are disabled. All part-time students are means- tested and if the family income is below a certain thresh-hold, they will be eligible for free tuition (sometime called Fee Waiver).
2
Student Loans, Bursaries and Grants The main support available to cover living expenses is a student loan. Most students take this out while they are studying. The main sources of funding are available from SAAS.
options Student Loan
Student Bursary
information Everyone is entitled to a loan but the amount students can receive will vary depending on: what course they are taking; the family income and whether they choose to stay in or away from the parental home. Students will pay this back in small and manageable amounts each month as soon as they start earning over a certain amount. Currently this is set at £15,000 a year. Students will pay low interest on this loan. Students may also be entitled to a Young Student Bursary. This is available to help students from low-income families and helps reduce the amount of loan they need to take out. They don’t need to pay back bursaries. If a student is eligible for a Student Bursary they may also be eligible for an additional student loan.
Supplementary Grants
Travel expenses
There are some supplementary grants to help with living costs. The extra support students can get depends on their personal circumstances. They do not have to pay back supplementary grants. Supplementary grants students might be eligible for include: Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA), Care Leaver Grant, Lone Parent ‘s Grant, Additional Childcare Grant for Loan Parents, Dependant’s Grant.
SAAS can also help with travel expenses. Check out the SAAS website for further details as to what this does and does not cover.
3
How to apply Students should apply to SAAS for a loan and supplementary grants at the same time they apply to them to get their tuition fees paid. They should apply as soon as possible after they receive a conditional or unconditional offer of a place on a course.
How to apply
Students can apply to SAAS for any Bursaries they might be entitled to at the start of their course. For claiming travel expenses from SAAS, students normally apply online during their year of studycheck with SAAS for closing dates. To find out more: www.saas.gov.uk/student_support or Tel: 0845 111 1711.
4
Other possible support
options Universities & Colleges
information They offer a range of Discretionary Funds (or Hardship Funds), bursaries or scholarships and may have a Childcare Fund. These will be limited and for students meeting their eligibility criteria. Contact college and universities directly to find out more.
Ask SAAS to search the “Register of Educational Endowments” which gives information about Scottish trusts that may be able to help. Many of these are local, and eligibility often depends on where a student lives and was born.
Trusts
Consult “The Directory of Grant Making Trusts”, “The Grants Register” or “The Charities Digest”, which are available in the larger public reference libraries. Or search family-action-trustsearch. org.uk Young Carers or Care Leavers should contact: The Frank Buttle Trust www.buttletrust.org The Princess Royal Trust For Carers www.carers.org
Endowments / Sponsorship
Some industrial organisations and some government departments have schemes (usually competitive) for supporting students. You may be able to get information about these from your local Job Centre.
5
The South East Forum (SEF) is a partnership of 18 colleges and universities across the South East of Scotland to widen access to college and university.
Open University (Scotland)
Borders College
Carnegie College
Cumbernauld College
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh’s Telford College
Forth Valley College
Heriot-Watt University
Jewel & Esk College
Newbattle Abbey College
Oatridge College
Queen Margaret University
Scottish Agricultural College
Stevenson College
University of Edinburgh
University of Stirling
West Lothian College
www.southeastscotlandforum.ac.uk T: 0131 455 3618
The South East Forum is one of four wider access regional forums funded by the Scottish Funding Council to deliver on national priorities within its access and inclusion agenda.
