Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook 2024/25Part 3: Treatment of incomeChapter 16: How income affects means-tested benefits 2. Grants and loans
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2. Grants and loans
Grants
Undergraduate grants
The following higher education (HE) grants are disregarded:
    •lone parents’ childcare grant;1IS Reg 62(2)(j) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(i) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(h) HB Regs
    •disabled students’ allowance;2IS Reg 62(2)(c) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(b) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(b) HB Regs
    •lone parents’ grant for income-related employment and support allowance (ESA), and for income support (IS) and income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) – except for some existing claimants who do not get child tax credit (CTC);
    •travel expenses;3IS Reg 62(2)(h) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(g) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(g) HB Regs
    •tuition fees.4IS Reg 62(2)(a) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(a) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(a) HB Regs
The following HE grants are taken into account:
    •young students’ bursary;
    •independent students’ bursary;
    •estranged students’ bursary;
    •care-experienced students’ bursary;
    •summer accommodation grant (but note that if it is a one-off payment, it should count as capital rather than income);
    •dependants’ grant;
    •lone parents’ grant. This is always taken into account for housing benefit (HB), but disregarded for IS, income-based JSA and income-related ESA.5IS Reg 62(2)(i) IS Regs
    JSA Reg 131(2)(h) JSA Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(h) ESA Regs
    Note: the rules do not specifically disregard the lone parents’ grant but rather disregard ‘any payment… intended for the maintenance of a child dependant’. Since SAAS pays this grant only to students with children for their maintenance, it should be disregarded under this rule for IS, income-based JSA and income-related ESA.
 
1     IS Reg 62(2)(j) IS Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(i) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(h) HB Regs
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2     IS Reg 62(2)(c) IS Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(b) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(b) HB Regs
 »
3     IS Reg 62(2)(h) IS Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(g) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(g) HB Regs
 »
4     IS Reg 62(2)(a) IS Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(a) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(a) HB Regs
 »
5     IS Reg 62(2)(i) IS Regs
JSA Reg 131(2)(h) JSA Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(h) ESA Regs
Note: the rules do not specifically disregard the lone parents’ grant but rather disregard ‘any payment… intended for the maintenance of a child dependant’. Since SAAS pays this grant only to students with children for their maintenance, it should be disregarded under this rule for IS, income-based JSA and income-related ESA.
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Paramedic, nursing and midwifery students’ grants
The following grants are disregarded:
    •childcare allowance;
    •disabled students’ allowance;
    •dependants’ allowance for a child, and single parent’s allowance – for IS, income-based JSA and income-related ESA;
    •travel and placement expenses.
The following are taken into account:
    •paramedic, nursing and midwifery bursary;
    •single parent’s allowance – for HB;
    •dependants’ allowance for an adult;
    •dependants’ allowance for a child – for HB.
Postgraduate grants
The following are taken into account:
    •maintenance grant;
    •dependants’ grant.
Grants in further education
The following further education (FE) grants are disregarded:
    •education maintenance allowance;1IS Sch 9 para 11 IS Regs
    JSA Sch 7 para 12 JSA Regs
    ESA Sch 8 para 13 ESA Regs
    HB Sch 5 para 11 HB Regs
    •additional support needs for learning allowance for disability costs;2IS Reg 62(2)(c) IS Regs
    JSA Reg 131(2)(b) JSA Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(b) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(b) HB Regs
    •study expenses allowance if paid for books and equipment;3IS Reg 62(2)(g) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(f) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(f) HB Regs
    •lone parents’ childcare grant;4IS Reg 62(2)(j) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(i) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(h) HB Regs
    •travel expenses allowance.5IS Reg 62(2)(h) IS Regs
    JSA Reg 131(2)(g) JSA Regs
    ESA Reg 132(2)(g) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 59(2)(g) HB Regs
The following FE grants are taken into account:
    •bursary maintenance allowance;
    •care-experienced bursary maintenance allowance;
    •dependants’ allowance.
FE students who are lone parents and other students eligible for IS (see here) or income-related ESA can stay on IS or income-related ESA instead of applying for a discretionary bursary maintenance allowance. This is because the rules can only treat you as having access to such income if it ‘would become available to [you] upon application’.6IS Reg 42(2) IS Regs
ESA Reg 106(2) ESA Regs
 You should not be treated as having access to a discretionary bursary if you do not have one because, by its nature, there is no guarantee you would get it if you applied.
Grants and loans checklist
Student support
Treatment
Undergraduate income
Student loan for maintenance (including young students’ bursary)
Disregard:
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel;
– £10 a week;
– amount of student’s contribution to loan;
– partner’s contribution.
Special support loan
Disregarded.
Independent students’ bursary
Taken into account in full.
Estranged students’ bursary
Taken into account in full.
Care-experienced students’ bursary
Disregard:
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel.
Summer accommodation grant
Taken into account as capital.
Dependants’ grant
Taken into account in full.
Disabled students’ allowance
Disregarded.
Lone parents’ grant
Taken into account in full for HB.
Disregarded for IS and income-based JSA if you get CTC.
Disregarded for income-related ESA.
Lone parents’ childcare grant
Disregarded.
Travel expenses
Disregarded.
Discretionary funds
Taken into account if paid for basic living costs (as capital if not regular payments) less a weekly disregard.
Disregarded if paid for other items.
Childcare fund
Disregarded.
Part-time fee grant
Disregarded.
Paramedic, nursing and midwifery student income
Paramedic, nursing and midwifery bursary
Disregard:
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel.
Dependants’ allowance for adult
Taken into account in full.
Dependants’ allowance for child
Taken into account in full for HB.
Disregarded for IS and income-based JSA if you get CTC.
Disregarded for income-related ESA.
Single parent’s allowance
Taken into account in full for HB.
Disregarded for IS and income-based JSA if you get CTC.
Disregarded for income-related ESA.
Childcare allowance
Disregarded.
Disabled students’ allowance
Disregarded.
Travel and placement expenses
Disregarded.
Postgraduate income
Tuition fees (including tuition fee loan) and exam fees
Disregarded.
Postgraduate living cost loan
Disregard:
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel.
Special support loan
Disregarded.
Residential study
Disregarded.
Books, equipment and travel
Disregarded.
Maintenance grant
Disregard:
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel.
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel.
Further education income
Bursary maintenance allowance
Disregard:
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel.
Care-experienced bursary maintenance allowance
Disregard:
– £390 a year for books and equipment;
– £303 a year for travel.
Dependants’ allowance
Taken into account in full.
Education maintenance allowance
Disregarded.
Additional support needs for learning allowance
Disregarded for disability costs.
Study expenses allowance
Disregarded for books and equipment.
Lone parents’ childcare grant
Disregarded.
Travel expenses allowance
Disregarded.
Childcare fund
Disregarded.
FE discretionary fund
Taken into account less weekly disregard if paid for basic living costs.
Disregarded if paid for other items.
 
1     IS Sch 9 para 11 IS Regs
JSA Sch 7 para 12 JSA Regs
ESA Sch 8 para 13 ESA Regs
HB Sch 5 para 11 HB Regs
 »
2     IS Reg 62(2)(c) IS Regs
JSA Reg 131(2)(b) JSA Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(b) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(b) HB Regs
 »
3     IS Reg 62(2)(g) IS Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(f) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(f) HB Regs
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4     IS Reg 62(2)(j) IS Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(i) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(h) HB Regs
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5     IS Reg 62(2)(h) IS Regs
JSA Reg 131(2)(g) JSA Regs
ESA Reg 132(2)(g) ESA Regs
HB Reg 59(2)(g) HB Regs
 »
6     IS Reg 42(2) IS Regs
ESA Reg 106(2) ESA Regs
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Student loans for maintenance
You should include in the student loan:
    •the maximum loan for maintenance for which you are eligible, including the young students’ bursary.1IS Reg 61(1) IS RegsESA Reg 131(1) ESA RegsHB Reg 53(1) HB RegsAll Definition of ‘student loan’ This is taken into account as your income whether or not you apply for it, if you could get one by taking ‘reasonable steps’.2IS Reg 66A(3) and (4) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 137(4) and (5) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 64(3) and (4) HB Regs
     This means that students cannot choose to keep maximum IS or income-related ESA instead of applying for a loan; you are treated as though you had taken out the full loan and your benefit reduced or stopped accordingly; and
    •the assessed contribution from a parent or partner, whether or not you receive it. However, for IS and income-related ESA, if you are a disabled student, only contributions that are actually paid are included.3IS Reg 66A(4)(a) IS Regs
    ESA Reg 137(5)(a) ESA Regs
    HB Reg 64(4) HB Regs
The special support loan is ignored, because it is for course costs such as study and travel costs.4IS Reg 66D IS RegsESA Reg 139A ESA RegsHB Reg 64B HB Regs
You should deduct from the annual student loan for maintenance:
    •£390 for books and equipment; and
    •£303 for travel.
There is a further disregard of £10 a week that applies once the student loan has been divided over the number of weeks in the period of study to arrive at a weekly amount.5IS Reg 66A(2) IS Regs
ESA Reg 137(3) ESA Regs
HB Reg 64(2) HB Regs
 
1     IS Reg 61(1) IS RegsESA Reg 131(1) ESA RegsHB Reg 53(1) HB RegsAll Definition of ‘student loan’ »
2     IS Reg 66A(3) and (4) IS Regs
ESA Reg 137(4) and (5) ESA Regs
HB Reg 64(3) and (4) HB Regs
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3     IS Reg 66A(4)(a) IS Regs
ESA Reg 137(5)(a) ESA Regs
HB Reg 64(4) HB Regs
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4     IS Reg 66D IS RegsESA Reg 139A ESA RegsHB Reg 64B HB Regs »
5     IS Reg 66A(2) IS Regs
ESA Reg 137(3) ESA Regs
HB Reg 64(2) HB Regs
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