Scottish Student Finance

Tuition Fees:

All universities charge tuition fees for their courses. Scottish students can get help to pay these tuition fees if they are studying an undergraduate course or certain postgraduate courses.

They do pay tuition fees to the university. Instead:

1.    apply for government funding to pay fees.

2.    The government funding agency pays the university on their behalf.

3.    Repeat for each year that they study

They will apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). SAAS cover tuition – whether they choose to study in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK.

Before applying for tuition fees, students should consider whether they need any other funding too. This could be a student loan or bursary for living costs. They should apply for all the funding needed at the same time.

Applications need to be in before the end of June to ensure they are processed before the start of the new term.

Studying part-time

Students studying part time are not eligible for living cost support from SAAS. They may be able to get a ‘Part-Time Fee Grant’ to help pay tuition fees.

To be eligible they must be:

·         earning less than £25,000 a year

·         studying a course worth least 30 ‘credits’ – you get a certain number of credits per course when studying 

Extra grants and bursaries are available for care leavers of upto £8,100 for fees and upto £105 a week for accommodation.There are also lone parent grants, disability grants and dependants’ grants. 
Repaying your loans:

If you choose to take out a student loan, you don’t have to start repaying your loan until the April after you graduate or leave your course. The SLC will expect you to pay 9% of any income you earn over £18,330 a year. 

Salary Amount of salary fromwhich 9% will be deductedAnnual repayment amountMonthly repayment 
£ 19,000£65£5.85£ 0.49
£ 25,000£6,065£545.85£ 45.49
£ 36,000£17,065£1535.85£ 127.99
£ 50,000£31,065£2795.85£ 232.99

Local Signposts:

  1. Government info on repaying student loans:  https://www.mygov.scot/repay-student-loan/ 
  2. Student Awards Agency Scotland: www.saas.gov 
  3. Repaying student loans: https://www.saas.gov.uk/my_money/loan_repayments.htm