The Scottish Government

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Contents

Introduction
Quick Guide
Staying at school
Do you meet the country of residence conditions to get funding?
Are you a further or higher education learner?
Full-time learning
Full-time further education students
Full-time higher education students
Part-time learning
Part-time further education students
Part-time higher education students
Funding for specialist further education outwith Scotland
Funding for postgraduate courses
Adult/community learning
Other disability-related support
Other sources of funding
Welfare benefits and tax credits
Student support and benefits income assessment
Useful publications
Further information

Introduction

This Guide gives an overview of the funding available from August 2005 for disabled learners and is a useful guide to practitioners giving advice to others.

This booklet uses the term 'disabled learners' to refer to learners with a wide range of impairments, such as those who have sensory impairments, physical impairments, mental health difficulties, dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorders, epilepsy, diabetes, etc.

This booklet provides information about the different types of financial support that is available to disabled learners, including general financial support and funding specifically available for disabled people. It also summarises information about getting welfare benefits as a disabled student.

You can get further information about financial support for learners from these booklets:

• Helping you meet the costs of learning: your guide to funding 2005-2006
• Helping you meet the costs of learning: students with dependent children 2005-06
• Helping you meet the costs of learning: support available for part-time students 2005-06

This booklet is available in large print, Braille and on CD from Skill Scotland.

Skill Scotland: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities has an Information Service that can provide information to disabled people, and those who work with disabled people, about any aspect of post-16 education, training and employment.

Skill Scotland Information Service
tel/text: 0800 328 5050, Monday-Thursday 1.30-4.30pm
website:www.skill.org.uk
email:admin@skillscotland.org.uk

Quick Guide

Staying at School

If you wish to stay on at school after you reach the school leaving age you may be eligible for an Education Maintenance Allowance ( EMA) depending on your household income. This can be up to £30 a week during term time.

Two bonuses of £150 may also be available if you remain on your course and make good progress.

As a disabled person at school, you have the right to have adjustments made and additional support provided if this is what you need in order to learn.

If you would like more information about this, contact Enquire - The Scottish Advice Service for Additional Support for Learning on:
tel: 0845 123 2303
text: 0131 22 22 439
web:www.enquire.org.uk

Do you meet the country of residence conditions to get funding?

To be eligible to apply for some funding you must meet certain residence conditions. These are complicated, and we would advise you to contact your local college (for Further Education courses) or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS) (for Higher Education courses) if you are in any doubt about your residence status.

Generally, the residence requirements are as follows:

1. You must be ordinarily resident in Scotland on the first day of the first academic year of the course.

In Further Education, this will be the start date of your course.

In Higher Education, you must be ordinarily resident on the following dates:

• 1 August 2005 for courses that start between 1 August 2005 and 31 December 2005.
• 1 January 2006 for courses that start between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2006.
• 1 April 2006 for courses that start between 1 April 2006 and 30 June 2006.
• 1 July 2006 for courses that start between 1 July 2006 and 31 July 2006.

2.UK nationals must also have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three-year period immediately before the start of the course. Those who are EEA (European Economic Area) or Swiss migrant workers, their spouse or children, must fulfil the three-year requirement in the EEA or Switzerland.

What does 'ordinarily resident' in Scotland mean?

The courts have defined 'ordinary residence' as 'habitual and normal residence in one place'. It basically means that you, your parents, or your husband or wife live in a country year after year by choice throughout a set period. This allows for temporary or occasional absences such as holidays or business trips and may cover you if you or your family were temporarily employed abroad.

You may not be treated as 'ordinarily resident' in Scotland if your main purpose in coming here is to study and you would normally be living somewhere else.

Are you a further or higher education learner?

There are different kinds of financial support available for courses at college or university, depending on whether you are a learner on a further education course or a learner on a higher education course.

Higher Education courses are those which are at Higher National Certificate level or above (that is Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 7 or above). They can be taken at college or at university and include:

• an undergraduate honours degree
• an undergraduate ordinary degree
• a Higher National Certificate ( HNC) or Higher National Diploma ( HND).

Further Education courses are those which are not taught in a school and are below Higher National Certificate ( HNC) level. They cover levels 1-6 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework ( SCQF) and include:

• academic courses up to Higher level
• courses that do not lead to formal qualifications, such as independent living skills courses basic skills courses, such as literacy and numeracy
• work related courses, such as Scottish Vocational Qualifications ( SVQs).

Are you a full-time or part-time learner?

You can get different kinds of financial help depending on whether your course is full-time or part-time. If you are not sure about this, ask your college or university for further advice.

Any extra tuition or support that you receive due to your disability does not count towards the hours of your course.

Full-time Further Education

Course fees

You do not need to pay any fees for a full-time further education course at college in Scotland, as long as you meet the country of residence conditions.

Living costs

If you are a school leaver going to college you may be able to apply for an Education Maintenance Allowance.

You can apply to your college for a non-repayable bursary of up to £80.74 per week, but the amount you can get will depend on your age, whether you live with your parents, and your household income.

The basic allowance per week is as follows:

* This allowance is for students who are aged under 18 but do not meet the criteria of the Education Maintenance Allowance. N/A= Not Applicable

Help with disability-related costs

Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance

Disabled students who have extra costs arising from their disability whilst at college can apply for an Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance. This allowance is not income assessed, and the college decides the allowance amount that you can receive.

You can apply for this allowance to meet disability-related study or travel costs. For example, you may need to buy additional software for a computer, you may need Braille paper, or have extra photocopying charges. You can also apply for extra rent costs you have because of your disability, if you do not receive help with these costs from any other body. It is important to note that some types of study support and equipment will be provided directly by the college without you having to apply for any allowance, so it is always best to speak to college support staff before applying.

If you are not sure what kinds of disability-related costs you might have whilst at college, you can ask college support staff for guidance. They can discuss with you about the nature of your course, the kinds of support you have used before as well as new kinds of support that are available, and the different ways in which the college can help you. They may ask you to undertake a formal assessment of your needs to make sure you get all the support that you require.

Study costs

You may also be eligible for an allowance to cover certain study costs such as:

• items that are essential to the course (such as essential texts but not additional reading)
• items that are required for health and safety reasons
• mandatory study trips.

If you are aged under 18, this allowance is not income assessed.

Costs of supporting a dependant

Childcare Costs

Some assistance with covering the costs of registered childcare may be available from the college. Priority is usually given to mature or part-time students, and lone parents, but this does not exclude full-time students from applying. Some colleges may offer different methods of childcare support and provision within the college, for example, on-site nurseries, or childcare vouchers.

Dependants' Allowance

You may be able to apply for a Dependants' Allowance of £46.02 per week if you have financial, care or legal responsibility for an adult. This is income assessed and the dependant's income will be taken into account.

Travel costs

Students can apply for a travel expenses allowance for travelling to college, depending on college criteria. This allowance is income assessed unless you are under 18.

You may have extra travel costs because of your disability, for example, if you need to travel by taxi rather than bus, or you cannot walk a short distance to college. Help with paying these additional travel costs is often available through the Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance. Help might also be available from your local social work department if you have had an assessment of your care needs. Ask your college support staff for information about local arrangements for getting your disability-related travel costs paid.

Additional help

Hardship Funds

Students who are experiencing particular financial difficulty can apply for assistance from their institution';s Hardship Fund. These funds are specifically targeted to help students who have financial difficulties that might prevent them gaining access to further or higher education, or continuing their course. Colleges and universities have discretion to provide payments from the Hardship Funds to students who received welfare benefits before they began their course.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still get funding if I have been to college before?

You can get your course fees paid on a full-time further education course even if you have studied at college before.

If a college has previously given you bursary support for study and/or you have an existing HND qualification or above, you will not usually be able to receive bursary support again. However, if you have not received support for more than 3 full years of a course in the last 6 years, and one of the following conditions applies, you may still be eligible for further bursary support:

• You have not had bursary support within the last 4 years, or
• You have not had bursary support within the last 2 years and were a jobseeker for more than 3 months immediately before your course starts, or
• The course you previously completed enabled you to progress on to take your current course.

If you did not complete and/or failed a course for medical or compassionate reasons, you should inform the college of the circumstances, together with a doctor's certificate in medical cases. The college may be able to provide further bursary support in these circumstances.

If you have taken longer to complete a course for disability-related reasons, you may be able to get extended bursary support if you can provide some supporting evidence - ask your college for information.

Can I get funding to find out if I have dyslexia?

You cannot usually get funding from the college to pay for a diagnostic assessment to find out if you have dyslexia. However, you can ask college support staff about the different kinds of study support that is available.

How do I pay for disability-related costs that are not related to my course?

There is information about meeting personal care costs. You might also be eligible for welfare benefits.

Full-time Higher Education

Course fees

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS) will pay the tuition fees for all students whose home is in Scotland or who are non- UK European Union students, studying at college or university in Scotland. You must meet the residency conditions and you must still apply to SAAS for payment of tuition fees even if you are not applying for any other means of support.

If you live in Scotland but are studying a full-time higher education course elsewhere in the UK, you may be liable for a contribution towards tuition fees costs, depending on your household income.

Living costs

Student Loans

The main source of help with living expenses will be through an income-assessed student loan. The maximum loan is £4,195 for students living outwith the parental home and £3,320 for those living at home. An additional loan of £545 will be available to young students from families with an income of up to £17,500. You do not have to take the full loan amount, and if you do not, you can apply for more throughout the year up to your full eligible amount.

Young Students' Bursary

Some students under 25 years old may qualify for a Young Students' Bursary (an income assessed, non-repayable grant) of up to £2,395 a year instead of part of the loan, so it reduces the amount of loan you need to take out. It will be available whether you live with your parents or live away from home during term time. It is not available if you are over 25, have been living independently for a 3 year period, or are married. The maximum bursary of £2,395 a year will be paid to you if your family income is under £17,500 a year. The amount of bursary will taper down to zero if your family income is around £31,000 a year.

NHS Bursary - Degrees in Allied Health Professions ( AHPs)

Students on degree courses in AHPs have different funding arrangements consisting of a Scottish Executive Health Department Bursary and loan. Contact SAAS for details of funding for living costs.

Dentistry and Medicine

Students on degree courses in dentistry and medicine are entitled to the same student support package as most other students in years 1 to 4. In years 5 and later, you are entitled to the Health Department Bursary. Support will then be available through a loan and bursary - contact SAAS for details.

Young Students' Outside Scotland Bursary

There is a non-repayable bursary for students under 25 who are studying a full-time higher education course elsewhere in the UK. This payment is additional to your loan entitlement. You are not eligible for this bursary if you started your course of study before 2002-03. You will get a full bursary of £545 a year if your parents'; annual income is less than £19,730.

Help for Disabled Students

Disabled Students' Allowance ( DSA)

If you have a disability, you may be able to get extra funding from the Disabled Students'; Allowance ( DSA). This allowance is intended to cover any extra costs or expenses you have while you are studying, which arise because of your disability.

DSA is not income assessed, and the amount you can get depends on what your needs are. DSA is not intended to pay for:

• disability-related costs that you would have whether you were a student or not
• study costs that every student might have.

DSA is made up of three parts:

Large items of equipment allowance

This allowance is for items of specialist equipment you need to participate in your course and to benefit fully from it. For example, you may need a computer with adaptive technology, a tape recorder, specialist furniture or a radio microphone, etc. The maximum amount available is £4,680 for the whole of your course (not per year).

Any equipment bought with the allowance belongs to you and you do not have return it when you finish your programme of study. However, in certain circumstances, SAAS may ask you to lease rather than buy a major item of equipment if this would be more economical or beneficial (for example, if you only need equipment for a short period of time or if you are near the end of your course). The allowance can be paid at any time during your studies, as long as the total payments do not go over the maximum. You may be asked to produce an estimate or quotation of the cost of the equipment before the allowance will be paid.

Non-medical helpers allowance

This allowance is for any course-related personal assistance you need in order to benefit fully from your course. For example, you can apply for the costs of sign language interpreters, readers, or a mobility enabler. DSA does not meet the costs of extra academic tuition or support in the subject you are studying, (although if you need specialist tutorial support that is specifically related to your disability e.g. study skills support for dyslexic students, you may be able to claim the costs from this allowance). DSA does not pay for help that you would need whether you were a student or not.

As payments are usually for helper';s wages or costs, they are usually made in regular instalments, and can be paid to you, your institution, or your helper. The maximum amount available for each year of your course is £11,840.

For further information, contact Skill Scotland about an upcoming booklet on employing support workers in higher education.

Basic allowance

This allowance is intended to cover any costs related to disability and study that are not covered by the other specific allowances. The maximum amount of this allowance is £1,565 per year. For example, this allowance can pay for extra books or photocopying if you are unable to study for long periods in the library, extra costs of medically-certified special dietary needs over and above your normal costs, tapes and disks that you need for your work. It can also be used to top up one of the other allowances.

Applying for DSA

You can get an application form for DSA from SAAS. Once you have been accepted on the course and you have a SAAS student reference number, you can then apply for DSA.

To apply for DSA you need to provide evidence of your disability to SAAS. This is usually a letter from your GP, a report from an educational psychologist (for example, if you have Dyslexia) or a report from another relevant organisation.

The application form asks you about the additional costs which you will have due to your disability. If you are not sure what you will need on your course, the best thing to do is to arrange to meet the Disability Adviser/support staff in your college or university. They can discuss with you about the nature of your course and about the different kinds of possible support. They can also tell you about the equipment and services that they can provide directly, so that you are clear about what you need from DSA. Someone from your university/college needs to sign the DSA form before you send it to SAAS.

If SAAS would like more information about your needs on the course, they may ask you to have an assessment of your needs. This assessment might be done by your university or college, or by an Access Centre. The assessment looks at how your disability affects you and what disability support you require to help you complete your study. It will identify needs that can be paid for via the DSA, as well as support that your university or college can provide. This assessment can be quite helpful for you. The assessor may be aware of solutions that you had not tried before, and will also take into account the higher education environment, which might be new to you. SAAS will provide you with full information about how to arrange this assessment and will pay for it.

If DSA does not meet all your disability-related costs, your university or college have responsibilities to make adjustments, or you could consider applying to trusts.

For more information about DSA, see the Skill information booklet 'Applying for Disabled Students Allowance' and the DSA guidance booklet available from SAAS

Costs of supporting a dependant

The following are not loans and do not need to be paid back.

Lone Parents' Grant

There are special provisions for widowed, divorced, separated or single students bringing up children. If you have at least one dependant child, you can claim an additional grant of £1,180.

Additional Childcare Grant for Lone Parents

If you receive the Lone Parent's Grant you can get extra help of up to £1,100 per year to help pay your formal childcare costs.

Childcare Fund

You can also apply to your institution for assistance from the new Higher Education Childcare Fund. The priority groups for this childcare support are lone parents and mature students. Support from this fund is discretionary, administered by the institutions themselves, and is only available to meet the costs of formal/registered childcare.

Adult Dependants' Grant

You can claim the income assessed Adult Dependants' Grant for your husband or wife. The maximum amount payable is £2,395. You cannot claim Dependants' Grant if your husband or wife also receives student support.

Travel Costs

Students may claim travelling expenses if travel costs are necessary in connection with their course. If you are living away from home, you may claim three return journeys each session to and from your term-time residence, in addition to term-time travel to and from your institution. You are required to pay the first £155 of the yearly total.

You may have extra travel costs because of your disability, for example, you may need to travel by taxi rather than bus, or you cannot walk a short distance. If this is the case, you should apply to SAAS for the full amount of your travel costs, preferably at the same time as you apply for any Disabled Students Allowance. You will need to provide SAAS with evidence that you cannot use public transport for disability-related reasons (if you have not already done so for your DSA application), and give details of the additional costs with competitive estimates where possible. (It may be possible for SAAS to make a 50% advance payment of travel expenses.)

Additional Help

Hardship Funds

Hardship Funds are available from your institution and are specifically targeted to help students who have financial difficulties that might prevent them gaining access to further or higher education, or continuing their course. You must first have applied for any student loan you are eligible for. Colleges and universities have discretion to provide payments from their Hardship Fund to students who received welfare benefits before they began their course.

Vacation Grant for Care Leavers

A grant from SAAS of up to £100 a week is available to help students, who were previously in care, with accommodation costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still get funding if I have done a higher education course before?

SAAS does not normally pay for periods of repeat study or for extended time to complete a course. However, if you need to repeat or extend a course because of illness or disability-related reasons, SAAS may make an exception. You should provide SAAS with supporting information from you, your institution and your doctor, and send it together with your funding application.

SAAS also does not usually fund second courses in higher education at the same level or below what you have studied before. For example, if you have previously received an HND qualification, SAAS will usually only fund the second year or above of an undergraduate 4 year degree course (although you can still usually apply for a student loan in the first year); if you were funded to complete an HND, SAAS will not support you to do a further HNC. However, if for disability reasons the course you previously took is no longer appropriate or useful to you i.e. you may need to retrain because of the onset of disability, SAAS may decide to pay your tuition fees and other support. You should contact SAAS to discuss the details.

What if my university/college and I do not agree on the details of my application for DSA?

Someone from your college or university needs to sign your DSA application form before you send it to SAAS. If for any reason you cannot agree about what you need, ask the Disability Adviser/support staff to sign the form anyway and to send a letter along with the form to explain the reasons that they do not agree with aspects of your application.

Can I get DSA again if I received DSA for a previous course?

Yes! You cannot always get help with paying tuition fees or maintenance support for a second course but you can still apply to SAAS for DSA.

Is it true that I do not pay the Graduate Endowment if I receive DSA?

Yes! Students who receive DSA at any time during their course do not pay the Graduate Endowment.

What if I have any problems with applying for DSA?

If you have questions about your DSA application, you should contact SAAS. If you have general questions about DSA, you should contact your Disability Adviser/support staff or the Skill Scotland Information Service. If you are unhappy with your assessment of need, contact the assessor to discuss this with them.

Part-time learning

Course fees

Most students studying part-time courses at further education colleges will have to pay tuition fees. However, you do not pay tuition fees on part-time courses if your course is specifically for people with learning difficulties or disabilities (ask your college if you are not sure if this applies to your course). In addition, you do not usually need to pay course fees for a part-time eligible course if you meet any of the criteria below:

• Your family receive: Income Support, or
• Working Tax Credit, or
• Pension Credit, or
• Housing Benefit.

• Or, you receive:
• Disability Living Allowance, or
• Carer's Allowance, or
• Incapacity Benefit, or
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Or, you are a registered job seeker.
• Or you can provide evidence to the college that your family's taxable income in the previous tax year is the same or lower than the following amounts:
• £6,502 if one person in the household
• £10,630 if a household with one couple and no children
• £15,480 if household includes dependant children.
• Or, you are an asylum seeker, or the spouse or child of an asylum seeker.

A similar scheme applies for those studying at universities or other Higher Education Institutions. Your university or other HEI may waive your fees, if you are studying an eligible course and meet any of the following criteria:

• your family receive:
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit or
• Housing Benefits
• Or, you receive
• Disability Living Allowance, or
• Carer's Allowance, or
• Incapacity Benefit, or
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Or, you are a registered job seeker and have been so for a continuous period of no less than six weeks prior to the date of application;
• Or, your family's sole income is DWP benefits;
• Or, your family's net income is less than the level for receiving income support.

If you have to repeat any part of your course or you have difficulty in meeting the cost of tuition fees but do not meet these criteria, you should ask your college or university about possible eligibility for a fee waiver.

ILA Scotland

If you're aged over 18 and earn £15,000 or less per year, you may qualify for one of the new Individual Learning Accounts ( ILA Scotland) of up to £200 each year towards the cost of certain courses. Later in 2005 ILA Scotland will also be extended to those earning over £15,000 who will be eligible for £100 towards the cost of various basic IT and computing qualifications. For information on the scheme visit the ILA Scotland website www.ilascotland.org.uk or phone the ILA Scotland helpline free on 0808 100 1090 for advice about what learning is available.

If you cannot get your fees paid by the college or with the contribution from ILA Scotland, you may be able to apply for funding from grant-making trusts or take out a Career Development Loan.

Vicky keeps her welfare benefits while learning Vicky has been unable to work for health reasons for a few years and wants to do a course in business studies at her local college as a way of training for a new career. As Vicky gets Disability Living Allowance ( DLA) to pay for her daily care and mobility costs, she does not have to pay course fees on a part-time college course. She decides to do the course over two years and arranges with the college to have flexibility built into her course timetable so that she can have time off for hospital appointments. Vicky's entitlement to certain welfare benefits is unaffected by taking up the part-time course - she will still receive her Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, and Housing Benefit. Vicky also applies to the college for help with travel costs.

For more information on the fee waiver scheme and eligibility details please contact your college or university.

Living costs

Bursary grants are not usually available for part-time students in Further Education, but this decision is at the college's discretion. If both you and the course are eligible for support but you are studying less than 21 hours per week, then the college can still consider you for an award. This award is income assessed. If awarded a living costs bursary, the amount given would be proportionate to the hours you attend college each week.

Part-time students may also be able to get some financial help from the college Hardship Fund or from grant-making trusts.

Help for disabled students

Part-time disabled students who have extra costs arising from their disability whilst at college can apply for the Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance.

Study costs

Some help with study costs may be available - ask your college for details.

Costs of supporting a dependant

Childcare Costs

Part-time students are one of the priority groups for help from the college with childcare costs - ask your college for details.

Dependant Allowance

The college can use its discretion to offer part-time students support for a dependant if you have financial, care or legal responsibility for an adult. This is also income assessed and the dependant's income will be taken into account.

Travel costs

Part-time students can apply to college for help with travel costs for the days you travel to college, depending on college criteria. This allowance is income assessed unless you are under 18. Additional travel expenses may be available for students who have extra travel costs because of their disability.

Additional Help

Hardship Fund

Part-time students may be able to get some financial help from hardship funds - ask your college for details.

Part-time Higher Education

Living Costs

Students studying in Higher Education part-time or by distance learning may be eligible for a £500 student loan from SAAS provided you are studying at least 50% of a full time course. The loan is income assessed. If you are

• a single student, your income must be less than £13,000 plus £2,000 if you are a parent and a further £1,000 for each additional child;
• a married student, your income must be less than £15,000 plus £2,000 if you are a parent and a further £1,000 for each additional child.

You are automatically eligible for a loan if you, or your husband or wife, are currently receiving any income-related Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

Help for Disabled Students

Disabled Students Allowance

If you are a distance-learning student or studying part-time and the course is equivalent to at least 50% of a full-time course, you may also be able to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance ( DSA).

The maximum amount you can receive for both the basic allowance and non-medical personal help elements of DSA is in proportion to a full-time course e.g. if you study for half a week, the maximum amount you can receive is 50% of these allowances. However, the maximum amount for the allowance for large items of equipment is the same as for full-time students.

If DSA does not meet all your disability-related costs, your university or college has responsibilities to make adjustments or you could consider applying to trusts.

Additional Help

Hardship Fund

If you are experiencing particular financial difficulty you can apply for help from your institution's Hardship Fund.

Funding for specialist further education outside Scotland

Further education colleges in Scotland provide a broad range of courses including specialist courses for people who have additional support needs as well as providing additional support for students on mainstream courses. Students with disabilities have a right to reasonable provision of additional support, services or equipment that they need so that they are not disadvantaged compared to non-disabled students.

All the financial support for further education students that is detailed in this booklet is only available if you are studying at a college within Scotland. However, it may be that because of your disability or support needs, you may be unable to find further education provision currently available within Scotland that is right for you. Some people therefore choose to attend one of a number of residential specialist colleges elsewhere in the UK. Local authorities have the power to pay bursaries to students studying outwith Scotland, but this is at their discretion.

If you want or need to attend specialist further education outside Scotland, you should ask your social work department for an assessment of your needs that takes into account any help you need in order to access appropriate education. Ask your local authority education department for details of local funding arrangements for specialist placements - sometimes this funding is a mixture of local authority social work or education or benefits funding.

You might also want to consider applying to grant-making trusts for funding to attend a specialist course.

Arrangements for funding at specialist colleges may change in the future. If you are unsure how to apply for funding ask Skill Scotland for advice.

Funding for Postgraduate Courses

Post-graduate Students' Allowances Scheme ( PSAS)

There is support available to students in Scotland for certain courses of post-graduate study through the Post-graduate Students' Allowances Scheme ( PSAS), which is administered by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS). Eligible students can apply for an award consisting of a means tested maintenance grant and payment of tuition fees. Awards from PSAS are discretionary, not mandatory, so there is no guarantee of an award at postgraduate level.

PGCE or PDipCE

You can often get funding at undergraduate levels for Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses or Postgraduate Diploma in Community Education courses. Contact SAAS for more details.

Research Council Funding

Support for a postgraduate degree is the responsibility of one of the UK Research Councils, depending on field of study. Further advice or information on each of the Research Councils can be obtained from the Research Councils direct, or from the Office of Science and Technology website, at www.ost.gov.uk/research/councils/councils.htm.

Other Funding

The majority of postgraduate students self-fund. However, there may be funding available through Career Development Loans through grant-making trusts, or through sponsorship e.g. from your employer.

Help for Disabled Post-Graduate Students

If you are a postgraduate student, you may also be eligible for DSA from SAAS, provided you are not being supported by a Research Council or by the Scottish Social Services Council, who can provide similar support to a DSA. DSA for postgraduate students from Scotland is available on the same basis as for undergraduate students.

Adult/community learning

Your adult/community learning provider can give details about any course costs or fees.

There are no specific allowances available to meet disability-related costs when learning on an adult/community education course. However, under the Disability Discrimination Act ( DDA), adult/ community education providers must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that it is not impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled students to access courses that are open to the public. For example, this means that your education provider should offer materials in alternative formats, communication support, accessible IT equipment etc, if the absence of these would make it difficult for you to take the course.

Other Disability Related Support

Disability Discrimination Act

Your college or university has a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that you are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. This can include provision of equipment or services. From September 2005, this will also include full access to the institution's physical environment. When determining whether or not an adjustment is 'reasonable', the education provider can take account of factors such as the maintenance of academic standards, cost and resources, and the practicality and effectiveness of the adjustment. However, institutions will have to think through the implications if they decide not to make an adjustment.

If you receive support through Disabled Students'; Allowances ( DSA) in higher education, or the Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance in further education the institution is not expected to cover the same disability support that is met by these allowances. However, if not all of your needs are met, then within reason the institution should provide the additional support that you need. To discuss arrangements for funding extra support or provision, you should arrange to meet with the Disability Adviser or support staff in your college/university.

For more information about your rights under the Disability Discrimination Act, see the Skill booklet 'The Disability Discrimination Act' or contact the Skill Scotland Information Service.

Personal care assistance

Personal care assistance is the practical help and support you need to go about your daily life, whether you are studying or not. The main source of help with personal assistance for your daily living needs is your local social work department.

As a disabled person, you have the right to an assessment of needs from your social work department. This assessment should include needs such as practical help at home, attending recreational facilities, lectures or games outside your home, and any help needed to take advantage of educational facilities. The needs assessment is intended to establish your eligibility for services, what needs you have and which of these needs social work services are able to meet. If you leave home to go to college or university, the funding for personal assistance with your daily living needs should continue to be provided by the social work department where you normally live. You can choose to receive services to meet your needs direct from social work, or you can opt to receive funding to meet your needs through Direct Payments.

For further information, see the Skill booklet 'Personal assistance in higher education'. The Scottish Executive guidance 'Partnership Matters' provides information about the roles and responsibilities of colleges, social work, health and others in providing additional support for students in further education.

Other sources of funding

Grant making trusts/scholarships

If you are not eligible to receive support from public funds, you may find you need to apply to trusts or charities to try to get funding. There are many trusts, but the amount of money that they give varies. Each trust has its own criteria for whom it will offer help. There are some trusts that specifically fund disabled people or people with certain disabilities.

To find out about trusts:

• Check various directories of trusts. You can usually find these in larger public libraries.
• Contact SAAS using form REE1 who will check a Register of Educational Endowments containing information on various Scottish trusts.
• Contact the Skill Scotland Information Service who will search the Funder Finder directory of grant making trusts
• See the Skill booklet 'Funding from Charitable Trusts' which lists trusts that provide funding specifically for disabled people.

Career Development Loans ( CDLs)

CDLs are bank loans of between £300 and £8,000 available to cover a wide range of vocational training (the skills needed for an occupation, trade or profession) or education for adults.

The government supports these loans by paying the interest on the loan while the individual is undertaking their training.

Further information about Career Development Loans can be obtained on Freephone 0800 585 505.

Welfare benefits and tax credits

As a disabled person you may be in receipt of certain welfare benefits. This section explains how different benefits are affected by starting a course of study.

For general enquiries about benefits or to apply for any welfare benefits, you should contact Jobcentre Plus or your local benefits office, or a Citizens Advice Bureau. You can also check the information about benefits for students in Scotland available from the Child Poverty Action Group website at: http://scottishhandbooks.cpag.org.uk/

Remember!
With all benefits you should check out how studying will affect your benefits before you start the course. You must inform your local Jobcentre Plus or your local benefits office of any major change in your circumstances as soon as it occurs.

How is Incapacity Benefit affected by studying?

Students who are under 19 and on courses of 20 hours of mainstream education per week or less are eligible for Incapacity Benefit. Any hours of tuition or classes only for disabled learners are not included in this 21 hour limit.

Aside from this, there is no rule that says you are not able to receive Incapacity Benefit while you are studying full or part time. However, once the Jobcentre Plus or local benefits office has been told you are studying or are planning to study, they may decide that you are no longer 'incapable of work'. Obviously, this is not automatically the case. Many people are able to do courses of education but are not able to work. This may be due to the flexible study and support arrangements that can be made in colleges or universities. Also, some people go into education as part of a rehabilitation process to prepare them to return to work. Therefore, although education may trigger a review of your claim, it cannot in itself be used to decide that you are capable of work.

How is Severe Disablement Allowance ( SDA) affected by studying?

The effect of study on SDA is the same as that of Incapacity Benefit (see above).

How is Disability Living Allowance ( DLA) affected by studying?

DLA is based on your day-to-day care and mobility costs. As you will continue to have these costs when you study, your DLA should continue. As long as your care and mobility needs stay the same, there is no reason why the benefit should change.

Two exceptions to this are as follows: if you are attending a residential college where care is provided as part of the service, then the care component of your DLA can be stopped. The care component may also be stopped if you are following a catering course, where this shows that you are capable of preparing a meal.

How is Jobseekers Allowance ( JSA) affected by studying?

If you are studying part-time you may be able to claim Jobseekers Allowance if the Jobcentre Plus is satisfied that you are genuinely available for work despite your studies. If your hours of studying overlap with the times you must be available for work, your studies will be ignored if you meet the following conditions:

• you can rearrange the hours of your course immediately on taking up employment or are prepared to give up your course if offered employment, and
• you are ready to take time off the course to attend an interview, and
• you are ready to start work immediately.

These conditions do not apply if:

• for 3 months before starting your course you were on work based training for young people; getting JSA, incapacity benefit or statutory sick pay; or getting Income Support on the grounds of incapacity for work, or
• in the 6 months before you started your course you met one of the previous conditions for a total of 3 months, and were in full-time employment or earning too much to get any of these benefits for the rest of the time.

If you are studying full-time you cannot usually receive JSA. However, there are 3 exceptions to this:

• If you have a partner who is also a student and you have a dependant child, you can get JSA during the long vacation as long as you are available for work, or
• If you are 25 or over and you have been claiming JSA for at least 2 years, you may be able to go on a full-time employment related course for 2 years and still receive JSA. Your Employment Officer at the Jobcentre Plus decides if your course of study would qualify, or
• If you are waiting to return to your course after a break agreed with the Jobcentre Plus because you were ill or you had to care for someone, you can claim JSA after the reason for your break has ended. You can then receive JSA until either the start of the next academic year or the date you start back on your course - whichever of these dates applies first.

As this benefit is means-tested, the amount you are eligible to receive will be affected by student support entitlement.

How is Income Support affected by studying?

If you qualify for Income Support under the usual eligibility criteria, you can continue to receive this whilst you are studying part-time. For the purposes of Income Support, you are usually classed as studying 'full-time' if your college or university defines your course as full-time. In most courses within further education colleges, a full-time course is defined as more than 16 hours of guided learning a week.

If you are studying full-time, you can only claim Income Support during term-time and all holiday periods if you meet any of the following criteria (with one exception, see below):

• you qualify for the Disability Premium or Severe Disability Premium
• you have been incapable of work for 28 weeks. Two or more periods when you are incapable of work are joined to form a single period if they are separated by less than 8 weeks
• you are a lone parent
• you are a pensioner
• you are a refugee on a course learning English
• you qualify for the Disabled Students' Allowances because you are deaf.

If you cannot claim Income Support under the criteria above during term-time, you also cannot claim it during long vacations or during any re-sits of modules. You can start claiming Income Support again from the moment your course ends, or if you leave the course for any reason.

As this benefit is means-tested, the amount you are eligible to receive will be affected by student support entitlement.

How is Housing Benefit affected by studying?

Part-time students continue to be eligible for Housing Benefit. You can claim Housing Benefit as a full-time student if you meet any of the following criteria:

• you get Income Support as a full-time student - see above
• you qualify for the Disability Premium or Severe Disability Premium
• you have been incapable of work for 28 weeks (two or more periods of incapacity can be added together if they are no more than 8 weeks apart)
• you get Disabled Students' Allowance because of deafness
• you are a lone parent
• you are a pensioner
• you are one of a couple and your partner is not a student - your partner can claim Housing Benefit, on the same conditions as for students - see below
• you are one of a couple, your partner is also a student and you have a dependant child - you will then be eligible for Housing Benefit throughout your course, including holiday periods
• you can get Housing Benefit temporarily while waiting to return to your course after an agreed break because you were ill or had to care for someone
• you are under 19 and a full-time student but not in higher education (ie HNC or above).

During the summer holidays, you will not get Housing Benefit if you are away from your term-time home for a full benefit week, unless you are in hospital or your term-time home is also your permanent home.

As this benefit is means-tested, the amount you are eligible to receive will be affected by student support entitlement.

How is Council Tax Benefit affected by studying?

Students are usually not liable for council tax. If you are liable to pay council tax, your eligibility for Council Tax Benefit is worked out in the same way as for Housing Benefit.

As this benefit is means-tested, the amount you are eligible to receive will be affected by student support entitlement.

How is the Social Fund affected by studying?

The Social Fund may apply to some students, but only if you are on specific benefits, such as Income Support. You should contact a Citizens Advice Bureau for more information.

How are Health Benefits affected by studying?

If you are under 19 and in full-time education you will not have to pay NHS charges. Similarly, those who are eligible for Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance will not have to pay these charges.

How is Carers Allowance affected by studying?

Full-time students (21 hours or more of guided study per week) cannot claim Carers Allowance during term time or the vacation periods. Part-time students can claim Carers Allowance if they meet the general eligibility criteria.

How are Tax Credits affected by studying?

All students with a child are entitled to claim Child Tax Credit. Both part-time and full-time students are also eligible to claim Working Tax Credit.

For more information about how tax affects students, check out www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/students or call the Tax Credit Information Line on 0800 500 222.

Student support and benefits income assessment

Effect of benefits on student support income assessment

If you are studying a higher education course, you must tell SAAS about all of your income from all sources throughout the academic year. SAAS ignore the following when they are calculating your total income with regards to student support entitlement:

• income earned by working during the year, regardless of how much you earn or whether you work during term-time or in the holidays
• income from a scholarship or sponsorship up to £4,460 - anything after this amount will reduce your entitlement
• Child Benefit
• income from student loans or hardship funds
• any state pension, pension payable because of disability or incapacity, any pension if you are over 50, and the first £3,590 of any other pension income
• Disability Living Allowance
• £2,150 from trust income of students with no living parents.

SAAS will then ignore the first £945 of any income you have left. After that deduction, whatever you have left will reduce your student support, pound for pound.

If you are on a further education course, your college will ignore the following when means-testing your income:

• all non-taxable benefits - most benefits are non-taxable except for Incapacity Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance and Carers Allowance
• Child Tax Credit and child maintenance
• any loan income or payments from the Hardship Fund or Childcare Fund
• any funds from private or charitable sources for educational purposes
• adoption and fostering allowance with the exception of the 'fee' element of the fostering allowance
• trust income less than £55.89 per week if you have no parents living
• earned income less than £95.66 per week
• unearned income less than £39.77 per week.

Your leftover income after these deductions are made is reduced by any child support or maintenance payments over the academic year for dependants not living in your household. The final amount which is left reduces the amount of student support you receive on a pound for pound basis.

Effect of student support on benefits income assessment

Some benefits are given regardless of your income, but others are based on an income assessment, also known as a mean-test. These means-tested benefits are Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, and the Social Fund. Where eligibility for Health Benefits arise from low income, rather than a disability or illness, a means-test would also be required for these.

Ignored student income

When assessing your income for means-tested benefit entitlement the following grants are ignored: grants for tuition fees, Disabled Students Allowance, Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance, loans for part-time students, travel expense allowances, Education Maintenance Allowance, any grants for study expenses such as books or equipment. Lone Parents Grant is disregarded for Income Support and income-based Jobseekers Allowance if you get Child Tax Credit, but is taken into account for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

Living Costs Grants

Any bursaries or grants for living costs will be taken into account as income over the period for which they are payable, e.g. a care leavers grant over the long holiday period, Young Students Bursary throughout the academic year.

Dependants Allowance

Dependants Allowance is usually counted as income for the number of weeks for which it is given - this is 52 weeks of the year for the Dependants Grant in higher education, and the number of weeks of your course in further education. Dependants Allowance is not counted as income for Working Tax Credit.

Student Loan

It is important to note that the full amount of student loan that you are entitled to will be taken into account, even if you do not actually take out the loan. When the DWP consider your loan amount for income purposes, they first ignore the following amounts (2004/2005 rates):

• £275 a year for travel costs
• £343 a year for books and equipment
  (but note that any grant specifically for these costs is ignored).

If you have not actually taken up your loan entitlement, these ignored amounts for travel and study expenses are deducted from any grant income instead.

Your loan amount which is left over after these deductions is then divided up by the number of weeks in your year of study. Thereafter, the first £10 a week of your student loan will not be taken into account. But the amount of loan entitlement over £10 a week will directly reduce your benefit, pound for pound.

Hardship and Trusts Grants

One-off payments to students from the Hardship Funds are counted towards the income assessment if they are intended for living costs. One-off payments for anything else are ignored for 52 weeks.

However, the situation is slightly different if payments are made in instalments rather than one-off payments. In this case, if any amount of the payments is intended for daily living costs, the first £20 a week will be ignored, and the rest of the living costs instalments will be taken into account when calculating your weekly income.

Career Development Loans

Career Development Loans are taken into account if they are intended to pay for daily living costs. If the loan is for anything else, it is fully disregarded. The living costs part of the full amount is taken into account in full over the period of study covered by the loan.

Useful publications

Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook

0141 552 3303
web:http://scottishhandbooks.cpag.org.uk

Directory of Grant Making Trusts

020 7391 4800
fax: 020 7391 4808
e-mail:info@dsc.org.uk
web:www.dsc.org.uk

Disability Rights Handbook
Published every April by

020 7247 8776

Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Post-16 Code of Practice

08457 622 633
text: 08457 622 644
email:enquiry@drc-gb.org
website:www.drc.org.uk

Educational Grants Directory
Directory of Social Change (address as above)

Funding for Learners booklets

• Helping you meet the costs of learning: your guide to funding 2005-006
• Helping you meet the costs of learning: funding for students with dependent children 2005-2006
• Helping you meet the costs of learning: funding for part-time students 2005-2006

Available free from Blackwell's bookshop on tel: 0131 622 8283 and available online at www.scotland.gov.uk/fundingforlearners

A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need
Directory of Social Change (address as above)

Partnership Matters
A Guide to Local Authorities, NHS Boards and Voluntary Organisations on Supporting Students with Additional Needs in Further Education

0141 242 0181
email:james.taylor@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
web:www.scotland.gov.uk

Personal Assistance for Disabled Students in Higher Education

020 7450 0620
email:skill@skill.org.uk
website:www.skill.org.uk

Skill information booklets

Skill produces a range of information booklets, covering disability issues in post-16 education, training and employment. The following are particularly relevant to the issues covered in this information booklet:

• Applying to Higher Education: Guidance for Disabled People
• Applying to Further Education: Guidance for Disabled People
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Applying for Disabled Students' Allowances
• Funding from Charitable Trusts
• Income Support for Disabled Students
• Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for Disabled Students
• Studying and Claiming Benefits as 'Incapable of Work'

As a disabled student or jobseeker, you can obtain 5 information booklets free of charge. There is a charge of £2.50 per booklet for professionals. You can also access all of these at Skill's website: www.skill.org.uk in the Information section, under Information Booklets.

The Grants Register, 2005

01256 329 242
web:www.macmillan.com

Further information

Benefits Enquiry Line
tel: 0800 88 22 00,
text: 0800 24 33 55
Monday to Friday 8.30am-6.30pm, Saturday 9am-1pm.

Careers Scotland
Careers Scotland gives guidance to anyone in Scotland about work or learning. The aim is to increase participation in learning, employment and provide guidance. Find out more on their website, www.careers-scotland.org.uk

Career Development Loans
tel: 0800 585 505.
web:www.lifelonglearning.co.uk

Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland

0141 552 0552 (Tuesday and Wednesday 10am-12 noon)
fax: 0141 552 4404
email:staff@cpagscotland.org.uk
web:www.cpag.org.uk

Carers Allowance Helpline
tel: 01253 85 61 23

Citizens Advice Bureau
You can find contact details for the CAB in your local phone book or by searching the directory available at: www.nacab.org.uk/cabdir.ihtml

Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Helpline
tel: 08457 123456
text: 08457 224 433 (Monday-Friday 8.30am-6.30pm)

Disability Rights Commission

08457 622 633
text: 08457 622 644
email:enquiry@drc-gb.org
website:www.drc.org.uk

Educational Grants Advisory Service ( EGAS)

020 7254 6251
Student advice line Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10am-12 noon, 2-4pm.

Education Maintenance Allowances
web:www.emascotland.com

ILA Scotland
ILA Scotland is a new scheme to help pay for a wide range of learning. To request an application pack call the helpline free on 0808 100 1090 or visit their website at www.ilascotland.org.uk for advice about what learning is available.

0808 100 1090
email:enquiries@ilascotland.org.uk
web:www.ilascotland.org.uk

Learndirect Scotland

0808 100 9000
email:info@learndirectscotland.com
web:www.learndirectscotland.com

Skill Scotland: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities

0800 328 5050 (Monday to Thursday 1.30-4.30pm)
e-mail:admin@skillscotland.org.uk
web:www.skill.org.uk

Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS)
Application forms and the SAAS guide are available on the SAAS website. If you have any questions about your eligibility or about payment of fees, bursaries, etc you can contact SAAS at:

0845 111 1711
email:saas.geu@scotland.gov.uk
web:www.saas.gov.uk

Student Loans Company

0800 40 50 10
Questions about loan account tel: 0870 24 222 11
In arrears with loan repayments tel: 0870 24 23 22 0
Helpline for disabled people tel: 0870 60 60 70 4
fax: 0141 306 2005
web:www.slc.co.uk

Update: Scotland's National Disability Information Service

0131 558 5200
minicom: 0131 558 5201
email:info@update.org.uk
web:www.update.org.uk

Your local College
For more information on Further Education student support please contact your local college. For a list of local colleges contact the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education at:

The Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education

0131 313 6500
email:info@sfc.ac.uk
web:www.sfefc.ac.uk

Funding for Learners
For more information regarding this booklet for disabled students contact: