High Level Summary of Statistics Trend Last update: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Higher Education Student Support
The Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS) supports Scottish-domiciled higher education students studying at institutions in Scotland and elsewhere and EU-domiciled students studying in Scotland.
Over the period 1997-98 to 2008-09, the total number of HE students supported by SAAS has increased by 10.4% to 124,845.
The number of students receiving tuition fee support remained fairly constant from 1997-98 (although numbers were lower in 1998-00 due to the abolition of tuition fee support in these years) up to 2005-06. In 2006-07 the number of students receiving tuition fee support increased mainly due to both the introduction of tuition fee loans for new entrants studying elsewhere in the UK and to increasing EU student numbers. EU students only receive tuition fees. Recipients of fee support increased again in 2007-08 and in 2008-09. In 2008-09, 118,055 students received fee support (either tuition fees or tuition fee loans), this is an increase of 3.5% (3,955) since 2007-08 mainly due to increasing numbers of Scottish students having their tuition fees paid, although EU student numbers and recipients of fee loans also increased.
SAAS has calculated student loan entitlement since 1999-00 (prior to this students applied directly to their institution). Initially the number of students assessed for loans increased in each academic year. However numbers have been decreasing since their peak in 2002-03. In 2008-09 77,170 students were assessed for loans: 15.9% fewer than in 2002-03. This includes a 1.3% (1,005) decrease since 2007-08. However the replacement, in academic year 2008-09, of the maintenance loan for part-time students with the ILA (Individual Learning Account) 500 grant accounts for the majority of this decrease. If we consider full-time students only, numbers assessed for loans have fallen by 0.5% (or 410) since 2007-08 and are 15.3% (or 13,950) lower than at their peak in 2002-03.
The number of students receiving non-repayable financial awards has fallen by 29.1% between 1997-98 and 2008-09 to 57,590. The largest decrease occurred between 1998-99 and 1999-00 when the standard maintenance grant was abolished for all new entrants. Despite increasing after this large fall, the number of award recipients has fallen since academic year 2005-06 and in 2008-09 was 2.0% (or 1,155) lower. The number of students receiving awards specifically targeted at young students, students with dependents and students with disabilities has increased to 40,835 in 2008-09, more than four times the 1997-98 level. However numbers in this group have fallen since 2005-06 by 7.7%.
Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)
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