Students studying in Scotland
Tuition fees
The Scottish Government, through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) will pay the annual tuition fees for a full-time higher education student studying in Scotland for the first time.
Full time students must apply every year to the SAAS for payment of their tuition fees. The standard rate of fees is as follows:
HNC, HND or equivalent: £1,255
Degree or equivalent: £1,775
Medicine degree: £2,825
Student Loans
If you live in Scotland, and meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for a Student Loan.
The amount you are entitled to will depend on what course you are taking, where you are living and your household income.
Loan amounts if you are living in a hall of residence or lodgings:
Full Year:
Maximum loan: £4,510
Income assessed part: £3,620
Non Income-assessed part: £890
Final year:
Maximum loan: £3,915
Income assessed part: £3,150
Non Income-assessed part: £765
Loan amounts if you are living in your parents’ home:
Full Year
Maximum loan: £3,570
Income assessed part: £2,980
Non Income-assessed part: £590
Final year:
Maximum loan: £3,120
Income assessed part: £2,650
Non Income-assessed part: £470
If you take out a student loan, you will have to start to pay this back the April after you graduate or leave your course.
The Student Loans Company expect you to repay 9% of your annual income over £15,000 a year. You will not have to pay your loan over a fixed period.
Extra Help
The Young Students’ Bursary (YSB) is available to young students from low income backgrounds who started their course of study in 2001 or onwards.
The bursary is paid instead of part of the loan so it reduces the amount of loan you need to take out. It is non repayable.
From 2007/08, the maximum annual support provided through YSB will be £2,575 if your household income is £18,820 or less.
There are supplementary grants or bursaries available to certain categories of students such as single parents and those facing financial difficulties. Extra help if also available to students with a disability
Part-time students
A part time fee grant of up to £500 will be available to all new and existing students who are aged 16 or over, earn £18,000 or less and who are studying at 50% or more of a full time course.
The fee grant will be paid directly to the college/university to help with the cost of tuition fees.
Funding for study, travel and childcare costs is also available through the Higher Education discretionary funds provided by institutions.
Scottish students studying elsewhere in the UK
If you are planning to study at an institution in the UK but outside Scotland, you will have to pay up to £3,145 each year towards your tuition fees.
If you don't have the money to pay your fees at the start of your course, you can apply for a student loan to pay part or all of your fees.
Your application for a student loan to pay your tuition fees is only valid for one academic session, so you must make sure you apply every year.
The amount of loan you get every year does not depend on household income.
The maximum student loan available if you live away from home while you study is £4,510 a year for a standard 30 week course. If your household income is over approximately £54,000 a year, you will only receive the minimum loan of £890 a year.
You may be entitled to receive the Students’ Outside Scotland Bursary.
This bursary will be paid instead of part of the student loan so it reduces the amount of loan your need to take out.
If your household income is £18,820 or less a year, you will receive the highest amount of £2,095 a year.
This will go down to zero for a family income of over £33,330 a year.
More Information
For more detailed information on what may be available to students continuing into higher education, contact: Student Awards Agency for Scotland or phone 0845 111 1711
