Tuition Fee Support
Scottish Students
All eligible Scottish domiciled students should apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) each year to get their tuition fees paid. Applications can be made online from 1st April and further details can be found on the SAAS website – www.saas.gov.uk.
Applying for SAAS tuition fee support:
- Applications are made online via your SAAS Account. You can exit the application at any stage and the information in each complete section will be saved.
- When you apply online for the first time, you will have to create an username and password.
- Information that will be handy to have when you are applying includes:
- a current email address and mobile number
- your SAAS reference number (only if you have applied before)
- your national insurance number
- your bank or building society account number and sort code
- the exact title of the course you will taking
- details of your household income, if this is less than £34,000
- your passport details if you hold a valid UK passport
- You will be asked for other information depending on the type of support you are applying for.
If you’re Scottish but not eligible for tuition fee support from SAAS please refer to the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland website to see if you can apply for a tuition fee grant. Applications open from 1 June 2021.
English Students
All eligible students can get help with tuition fees and living costs via a tuition fee loan and a loan for living costs. Applications should be made to Student Finance England each year – https://www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance
Welsh Students
All eligible students can get help with tuition fees and living costs via a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan. Applications should be made to Student Finance Wales on an annual basis – www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.
Northern Irish Students
All eligible students can get help with tuition fees and living costs through Student Loans. Applications should be made to Student Finance Northern Ireland each year – https://www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/.
Irish Students
Irish nationals who are living in the Republic of Ireland, who have been ordinarily resident in the Common Travel Area of the UK, Islands or Ireland for three years prior to the relevant date (for autumn start courses this is 1 August 2021) who are studying in Scotland will be eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 from SAAS.
Irish nationals who are ordinarily resident in the UK on 31 December 2020, who have been ordinarily resident in the UK, EEA, EU or Switzerland for three years prior to the relevant date (for autumn start courses this is 1 August 2021) and who are ordinarily resident in Scotland will be eligible to apply to SAAS for home tuition fees support.
Irish nationals who moved to the UK after 31 December 2020, who have been ordinarily resident in the UK/Islands or the ROI for three years prior to the relevant date (for autumn start courses this is 1 August 2021) and who are ordinarily resident in Scotland will be eligible to apply to SAAS for home tuition fees.
Irish nationals living elsewhere in the EU (not ROI or UK) will not be eligible to apply for funding from SAAS.
Deadline Dates
To ensure your funding is in place at start of your course, you should be aware of the following deadlines for applications to ensure your student finance is in place for the start of your course.
- SAAS – 30th June 2021
- Student Finance England – 21 May 2021
- Student Finance Wales – 4 June 2021
- Student Finance Northern Ireland – as soon as possible
If you apply after these dates, there can be no guarantee that your funding will be in place for the start of your course. It is important that you apply for payment of your fees if you are eligible, otherwise the fee liability will lie with you. You must apply for funding on an annual basis.