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Full-time learning
Quick guide

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

Education Maintenance Allowance

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

Maintenance Bursary

You can apply to your college for a non-repayable bursary of up to £84.69 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.
+ This allowance may be paid in addition to an 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 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 and 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 £48.27 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.

Kate is unsure about what support she will need

Kate is about to leave school and she wants to do a full-time course in childcare at her local college. She will not have to pay any fees for the course and she can apply for a maintenance bursary of £67.01 per week (as she is 18 and living at home). She can also get a study expenses allowance to help with buying a required textbook for the course.

Kate has dyslexia and is unsure about the kinds of assistance that she might need to do her college course. She arranges to meet with the college's Student Support Coordinator to discuss what additional support she will need. Amongst other aspects of support, the college agrees to provide class handouts on yellow paper, and to provide a scribe in exams. In addition, Kate applies for the Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance to buy a laptop computer with spell-check.

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. However, if you receive the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance ( DLA), then you will be expected to use this to provide you with transport to and from the college.

If you are unable to get funding from the college to pay for your travel costs if you have a disability, and you do not receive the mobility component of DLA, you may be able to get funding from your local social work department.

Additional help

Hardship Funds

Every college operates a Hardship Fund and students with particular financial difficulties or emergency needs can apply for assistance. Hardship 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 also have discretion to provide payments from the Hardship Funds to students who are moving from the benefit system to take a course.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: 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.

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

You may be able to get funding through your college or university's Hardship Funds to pay for a diagnostic assessment to find out if you have dyslexia. You do not need to have taken out a student loan to be able to apply for such funding.

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

Whereas the college is responsible for providing educational support, it is generally the responsibility of your local social work department to pay for any personal care support which you may require at college. There is information about meeting personal care costs on page 28. If you have been assessed as having a healthcare support need, your local health board will be responsible for providing that support.

You might also be eligible for welfare benefits or tax credits.

Course fees

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

From September 2006 institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland introduced variable tuition fees. If you live in Scotland but are studying a full-time higher education course elsewhere in the UK, you will have to pay tuition fees of up to £3,070 per year. You can apply to SAAS for a loan to cover the costs regardless of your income. You repay your loan only after you have finished your course and start earning over £15,000 per year.

Living costs
Student loans

The main source of help with living expenses will be through an income-assessed student loan. The maximum loan is £4,400 for students living outwith the parental home and £3,485 for those living at home. An additional loan of £575 will be available to young students from families with an income of up to £20,695. 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 £2,510 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 £2,510 a year will be paid to you if your family income is under £18,360 a year. The amount of bursary will taper down to zero if your family income is around £32,515 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. If you think you may be one of these students you should contact SAAS for more details.

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.

Students' Outside Scotland Bursary

There is a non-repayable bursary for students who are studying a full-time higher education course elsewhere in the UK. This payment is additional to your loan entitlement. You will get a full bursary of £2,045 a year if your household annual income is less than £18,360 and there are smaller bursary amounts for those with incomes up to £32,515.

Help with disability-related costs

Disabled Students' Allowance ( DSA)

If you have a disability, you may be able to get extra funding from the 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 £4,905 for the whole of your course (not per year).

Any equipment bought with the allowance belongs to you and you do not have to 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 cost of extra academic tuition or support in the subject you are studying, however, if you need specialist tutorial support that is specifically related to your disability, for example 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, such as assistance to meet your daily living needs.

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 way in which you get your assistance will depend upon the institution you attend and what suits you best. The maximum amount available for each year of your course is £12,420.

Many institutions have staff who are specifically employed to support individual disabled students. There are many advantages of using support workers who are employed by the institution. The institution takes responsibility for recruiting and managing the support worker and for paying them. If the support worker is absent, leaves or is not suitable, the institution will make arrangements to replace them.

For more information, please see the Scottish Executive/Skill Scotland information booklet 'Employing Support Workers in Higher Education: a guide for students and advisors', available from SAAS or on line at www.scotland.gov.uk/fundingforlearners.

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 £1,640 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 the nature of your course and 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.

Jenni gets assistance with disability-related costs

Jenni is going to do an Honours degree in history and politics. She has accepted a place at university and has applied to SAAS to get her tuition fees paid and to get the Young Students Bursary and student loan.

Jenni is visually impaired and will have extra disability-related costs whilst studying. Jenni applies for DSA from SAAS to cover these costs. SAAS would like more information about the assistance that she needs so they arrange for Jenni to have a needs assessment at an Access Centre.

SAAS agrees to cover all the disability-related costs identified by the Access Centre. Jenni arranges that SAAS should pay the DSA directly to an equipment supplier for a laptop computer and software, and to the university to employ a notetaker.

For more information about DSA, see the Skill information booklet 'Higher Education in Scotland: guidance for disabled people' 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 Parent's 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 £1,240.

Additional Childcare Grant for Lone Parents

If you receive the Lone Parent's Grant you can get extra help of up to £1,155 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, wife or civil partner. The maximum amount payable is £2,510. You cannot claim Dependants' Grant if your husband, wife or civil partner also receives student support.

Travel costs

Students can apply for help with the cost of daily travel to their college or university. The amount you might get is dependent on your income. 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.)

If you are unable to get funding from SAAS to pay for your travel costs if you have a disability, you may be able to get funding from your local social work department.

Additional help

Hardship Funds

Students who are experiencing particular financial difficulty can apply for assistance from their institution's Hardship Funds. These funds are specifically targeted to help students who have financial difficulties. Your college or university is responsible for deciding who gets help and how much. You must have taken out your full student loan entitlement before you can receive this help.

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.

Ola needs assistance with travel costs

Ola has mobility difficulties and he cannot use public transport. He lives in a flat that is about 3 miles from the university so he needs help with travel costs for getting to his classes each day.

When Ola is applying for Disabled Students' Allowance ( DSA), he includes a letter from his doctor that says that he cannot walk far and needs to travel by car. He gets quotes from three taxi firms for the cost of the return journey to university each day. He sends these quotes, together with a short letter explaining his application, to the Students Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS).

Ola has to pay the first £155 for travel out of his student loan, and SAAS pays for the rest of the taxi 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.

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

You may be able to get funding through your college or university's Hardship Funds to pay for a diagnostic assessment to find out if you have dyslexia. You do not have to have taken out a student loan to be able to apply for such funding.

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