1. Full-time higher education

• Previous study
• Tuition fees
• Student loans
• Care-experienced students' bursary
• Young students' bursary
• Independent students' bursary
• Estranged students' bursary
• Dependants' grant
• Lone parents' grant
• Summer accommodation grant
• Disabled students' allowance
• Childcare fund
• Higher education discretionary fund

This section is for full-time undergraduate degree students (including allied health profession students) and full-time students on Higher National Certificate (HNC)/Higher National Diploma (HND) courses. It is also relevant for full-time students on Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) courses. Funding is different for other full-time postgraduates (see here) and for paramedic, nursing and midwifery students (see here).

Student support from Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) is made up of:1Loans The Student Support (Scotland) Regulations 2022 No.157
Grants The Student Support (Scotland) Regulations 2022 No.157
See also Student Awards Agency Scotland, Guide to Undergraduate Funding at saas.gov.uk/guides/guide-to-undergraduate-funding

•tuition fees;
•student loan for maintenance;
•special support loan;
•care-experienced students’ bursary;
•young students’ bursary;
•independent students’ bursary;
•estranged students’ bursary;
•dependants’ grant;
•lone parents’ grant;
•summer accommodation grant;
•disabled students’ allowance.

In addition, your college or university administers a:

•higher education (HE) discretionary fund;
•childcare fund, including lone parents’ childcare grant.

Travel expenses are not covered, except for students doing a compulsory year abroad, for a placement on an allied health professions or nursing course, and for disabled students who cannot use public transport.

 

1     Loans The Student Support (Scotland) Regulations 2022 No.157
Grants The Student Support (Scotland) Regulations 2022 No.157
See also Student Awards Agency Scotland, Guide to Undergraduate Funding at saas.gov.uk/guides/guide-to-undergraduate-funding
 »

Previous study

You cannot usually get your tuition fees paid if you completed a full-time HE course (ie, degree, HNC, HND, postgraduate, graduate apprenticeship) on or after 2004/05 and received support from public funds.

You may be able to get one year’s additional funding if you need this – eg, to change courses or repeat a period of study. This is known as a ‘plus one’ year.

Contact SAAS to check your entitlement. Even if you are not entitled to help with your tuition fees, you can normally apply for a student loan and living costs grants (but not an independent, estranged or young students’ bursary).

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are paid directly to your college or university. Your income is not assessed and the amounts are not repayable. If your fees are higher than the amounts payable, you must pay the difference.

Course/place of study	Tuition fees 2024/25
HNC/HND or equivalent	£1,285
Degree or equivalent	£1,820
Private college/institution	£1,205

Student loans

Student loans are low-interest loans for students, only repayable when you have graduated and are earning over £31,395 a year. You repay the loan at a rate of 9 per cent of your income which exceeds £31,395. Student loans are partly based on your income. You must provide a national insurance number in order to get a loan. If you do not have one, you can apply to the DWP.1The Social Security (National Insurance Numbers) Amendment Regulations 2006 No.2897

Student loans for 2024/25 are outlined in the table below. From 2024/25, students get a special support loan of £2,400, in addition to the student loan for maintenance. The special support loan is for course costs such as study and travel costs.

Students have the option to spread their student loan payments over 12 months. Choose your preferred payment option, over term time or 12 months, when you apply to SAAS each year. You cannot choose to be paid over 12 months if you are on a one-year course or in the final year of your course.

You must usually be under 61 to be eligible for a student loan.

Dependent students may also be eligible for a young students’ bursary (see here) and independent students and students aged 25 or over for an independent students’ bursary (see here). If you meet the rules for the estranged students’ bursary, you may be eligible for this instead (see here).

Maximum student loan 2024/25 (including the £2,400 special support loan)

Household income	Dependent student under 25 - maximum student loan	Independent student under 25, or student aged 25 or over - maximum student loan
Below £24,000	£9,400	£10,400
£24,000 to £33,999	£9,400	£9,900
£34,000 or over	£8,400	£8,400

 

1     The Social Security (National Insurance Numbers) Amendment Regulations 2006 No.2897 »

Care-experienced students’ bursary

Students who have previously been looked after by a local authority in the UK may be eligible for a care-experienced students’ bursary.1saas.gov.uk/full-time/support-for-care-experienced-students This is a non-income-assessed grant of £9,000 in 2024/25, and is paid instead of the student loan/bursary package.

From 2024/25, students can get a special support loan of £2,400, in addition to the care-experienced students’ bursary. The special support loan is for course costs such as study and travel costs. It is repayable (see above).

Students have the option to spread their care-experienced bursary payments over 12 months. Choose your preferred payment option, over term time or 12 months, when you apply to SAAS each year. You cannot choose to be paid over 12 months if you are on a one-year course or in the final year of your course.

 

1     saas.gov.uk/full-time/support-for-care-experienced-students »

Young students’ bursary

You may be eligible for a young students’ bursary if you are under 25 on the first day of the first academic year of your course (for an autumn start course, this is 1 August) and from a family with an income of less than £34,000 a year. The amount of the bursary depends on your and your family’s income. In 2024/25, a maximum of £2,000 is paid if your and your family’s combined income is under £21,000 a year. It is paid on top of the maximum loan for maintenance and the special support loan.

Independent students’ bursary

The independent students’ bursary is paid in addition to the maximum loan for maintenance and the special support loan. Students classed as independent are eligible for £1,000 if their household income is below £21,000 a year.

Estranged students’ bursary

The estranged students’ bursary operates in the same way as the independent students’ bursary – it is an extra £1,000 in addition to the maximum loan for maintenance and the special support loan. It can be paid if you are under 25 at the start of your course and you no longer have contact with your parents. There normally needs to be a permanent breakdown in your relationship with your parents. Parental income is not assessed for this bursary. You must have evidence of estrangement from a professional who knows you.1saas.gov.uk/guides/estranged-students

 

1     saas.gov.uk/guides/estranged-students »

Dependants’ grant

A dependants’ grant is an income-assessed, non-repayable grant you can claim for a spouse, civil partner, partner, or adult dependant who you care for. The maximum amount in 2024/25 is £2,640. The maximum amount is paid if the adult dependant’s income is under £1,160 a year.

Lone parents’ grant

If you are a lone parent, you can get a lone parents’ grant, worth £1,305 in 2024/25 if you have at least one dependent child. Your unearned income is assessed (although benefit income is disregarded) and the grant is not repayable.

Summer accommodation grant

If you were in local authority care (sometimes referred to as being ‘looked after’ by a local authority), you may get a grant of £1,330 if you rent accommodation, or £665 if you stay with friends or family (2024/25), to help with your accommodation costs during the long vacation.1saas.gov.uk/full-time/support-for-care-experienced-students/care-experienced-accommodation-grant Your income is not assessed and the grant is not repayable. You normally get a one-off payment in advance.

 

1     saas.gov.uk/full-time/support-for-care-experienced-students/care-experienced-accommodation-grant »

Disabled students’ allowance

If you have a disability or learning difficulty, you can claim for extra expenses that arise because you are on the course. Your income is not assessed and the allowance is not repayable. You can also apply for travel costs if you cannot use public transport because of your disability.

Disabled students’ allowance 2024/25	Maximum rates
Non-medical personal help	£20,520 a year
Consumables – eg, printing	£1,725 a year
Equipment, software and accessories	£5,160 per course

Childcare fund

The discretionary childcare fund helps with the cost of registered or formal childcare. It is administered by colleges and universities. They decide who is eligible and how much you can get. However, if you are an eligible lone parent student, you can get a lone parents’ childcare grant from this fund to help with the cost of registered or formal childcare costs. Depending on the costs of childcare, the maximum amount is £1,215 in 2024/25. Your income is not assessed and the grant is not repayable. It is administered by colleges and universities.

Higher education discretionary fund

Colleges and universities administer discretionary funds to help with living costs, and decide how much the payments will be. You are expected to apply for a full student loan before asking for help. The funds are for students in financial difficulties. This can include help in the summer vacation for continuing students.