Finance & Fees
Before you start university it's a good idea to find out about financial aspects of going to University particularly tuition fees payment and living costs and plan how to survive financially.
Tuition Fees
Scottish students studying at University for the first in Scotland do NOT have to pay tuition fees. You will still have to apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for them to be paid however. You should apply to have them paid as soon as you receive confirmation of a place to study.*
Young Students' Bursaries
As a young student, you may be eligible for the Young Students' Bursary as well a student loan for your living cost support. The bursary is a non-repayable form of support, and you should apply to us for this, along with any loan and tuition fees.
There is a Young Students' Bursary of up to £2,150 which is available for all eligible young Scottish students from low-income families. You must be eligible for tuition fee support, and studying at an institution in Scotland. The amount you get will depend on your family income, and will reduce to NIL at a family income of £28,000 or more.
This bursary replaces part of the loan, so reduces the amount of loan you have to take out. In turn, this will reduce the amount of debt you have when you finish your course.
Where you are not eligible for the bursary, your living cost support will be made up entirely of student loan.
Student Loans
The student loan is a repayable form of support which is partly income-assessed. The amount you get will depend on your own and your parents' or your husband or wife's income, as applicable, and a contribution may be required from them. The amount of loan available also depends on where you live during term-time. There is a minimum loan available, which is not income-assessed, so the amount of family income does not affect this support.
The amount of loan available is also different depending on whether you are in the first year of your course or the final year. It is less in the final year as your course is normally completed before the summer break. Other UK students Living Costs & Student Loans, please refer to your local education authority for funding information.
*N.B. For students of nursing or any other medicine-related course, the above may not apply as there are special arrangements for these. Contact SAAS for more information.