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Higher Education
Higher education means courses of study which are at HNC level or above (which is Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 7 or above). Higher education courses can be taken at college or at university. Higher education includes:
- an undergraduate honours degree
- an undergraduate ordinary degree
- an HNC or HND.
Support for part-time higher education is mainly loans-based.
Study Costs
You may be eligible for an income-assessed loan of £500 in each year of your course to help meet study-related costs such as equipment, books, travel, photocopying, paper, etc. provided you meet the conditions below:
- be ordinarily resident in Scotland
- not already have a degree qualification
- not have previously failed to repay a loan
- be working towards at least 50% of a full-time qualification
- meet the independent status conditions.
Independent Status
We will consider you as being 'independent' if you meet at least one of the following conditions:
- you are 25 or over before the first day of the academic year for which the loan is being assessed
- neither of your parents is alive
- you were married or in a civil partnership before the first day of the academic year for which the loan is being assessed
- you have been supporting yourself with earnings or benefits for any three years immediately before the first day of the academic year in which the course begins.
Income Assessment
All student loans are income-assessed. To be eligible to claim a loan, we assess your financial resources (including your husband/wife/civil partner's income) for the previous financial year. You will have to send supporting documents to confirm this. If you are:
- a single student, your income must be less than £15,367. This income threshold increases by £2,000 for your eldest child and a further £1,000 for each other child; or
- married or in a civil partnership, your income must be less than £17,367. This income threshold increases by £2,000 for your eldest child and a further £1,000 for each other child.
This does not include any tax credits or child benefit which may be paid to you, your husband, wife or civil partner.
If, due to your household's income, you are currently not eligible for a loan but you expect a drop in income over the current financial year, for example due to unemployment or reduced working hours, then you can still apply for a loan. You will have to send supporting documents with your application to confirm this.
You are automatically eligible for a loan if you or your husband, wife or civil partner are currently receiving any income-related Income Support, Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Benefit. If you send supporting documents to confirm this, you will not need to give any more details about your own income or that of your husband, wife or civil partner.
If you are not sure if you qualify, you should contact SAAS on 0845 111 1711 or visit their website at www.saas.gov.uk.
How to Apply for a Loan
You can download the loan application form for part-time and distance-learning students from the SAAS website at www.saas.gov.uk. Or, you can contact SAAS direct for one.
Your college, university, the Open University in Scotland or your distance learning provider must fill in a certificate on the application form to confirm that you are working to at least 50% of a full-time equivalent higher education qualification. If they do not the form will be returned and your payment will be delayed.
Once you have filled in the application form and sent it to SAAS, they assess your entitlement and electronically send your loan information to the Student Loans Company. They will set up your loan account and issue your £500 loan direct into your bank account.
You only start repaying your loan after you leave your course, get a job and are earning over £15,000 a year.
Additional Help
Students With Disabilities
If you have extra course-related costs as a direct result of your disability, you may be able to claim the DSA. This can help with the cost of items of specialist equipment, non-medical personal help and other course-related costs. These extra costs may, for example, be due to physical disabilities, mental health problems, sensory impairments, specific learning difficulties or medical conditions such as diabetes. You may also claim DSA for some part-time postgraduate courses.
DSA is not income-assessed. The amount of basic allowance and allowance for non-medical helpers is in proportion to the time spent on the qualification. For example, if you are studying 60% of an eligible full-time higher education qualification, you will be able to claim 60% of these allowances.
You can get more information from SAAS. Application forms are available from the SAAS website at www.saas.gov.uk, your college, university, the Open University in Scotland or your distance-learning provider.
Hardship Fund
If you are experiencing particular financial difficulty you can apply for help from your institution's Hardship Fund. This can include help with childcare, housing and travel costs.
Studying Outside Scotland
If you are studying outside Scotland you can still apply to SAAS for the £500 loan for study costs. You will need to speak to your institution about any help they can offer to cover course fees.
Higher Education
For more information on the support that is available for higher education contact the SAAS on 0845 111 1711 or visit www.saas.gov.uk
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