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Funding for postgraduate courses
Postgraduate Students' Allowances Scheme ( PSAS)
There is support available to students in Scotland for postgraduate study through the 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. Courses supported under PSAS are generally nine-month-taught postgraduate diploma courses on largely vocational subjects, rather than Masters courses. Awards from PSAS are discretionary, not mandatory, so there is no guarantee of an award at postgraduate level.
Postgraduate Certificate in Education ( PGCE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Community Education ( PGDipCE)
You may be eligible for the same funding as undergraduates unless:
- you have previously taken a postgraduate course;
- your first degree has qualified you for a profession, e.g. doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, ministers and priests.
Please check with SAAS if you want to know if your first degree qualifies you for a profession.
There is an exception in the case of teacher training for certain priority school subjects in Scotland. Students taking PGCE courses in these subjects may receive an award no matter what their previous postgraduate or undergraduate study. The exception is only available once. You can get more information from SAAS about priority subject areas.
Research Council funding
Support for a postgraduate degree, such as a Masters degree or a doctorate (Ph.D), is the responsibility of the Arts and Humanities Research Board ( AHRB) or one of the UK Research Councils, depending on field of study. All are independent bodies. The fact that a course lies within its remit does not oblige the Board or Council to support all, or indeed any, students applying for awards. Research Councils each have their own rules for awarding grants to postgraduate students. Further advice or information on each of the Research Councils and the type of work which they fund 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 postgraduate 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, although you should check with your university to see if your course is eligible for DSA.
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