Higher Education funding
Including HN (HNC/HND) and Degree courses
Funding for full time courses
Students who normally live in Scotland and are studying a course at SCQF level 7 and above must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for their fees and/or a bursary, tuition fees are not automatically paid to SRUC. You can also choose to take out a student loan for living costs. You need to apply for the funding on the SAAS website for each year of your course.
Funding for part time courses
Students living in Scotland and undertaking a part time course may be eligible for tuition fee support from SAAS.
To receive funding, you need to:
- study an eligible course
- meet our residence criteria
- earn an average gross income (before tax and National Insurance) of £25,000 a year or less, including bonuses and overtime
- have left full time compulsory education, such as high school
Funding for care-experienced students
Students who have been in care at any time may be eligible for a Care-experienced Bursary. The term 'care-experienced' refers to anyone who has experienced a certain form of care in their life (sometimes known as having been ‘looked after’). This care may have been provided in many different settings, such as:
- formal kinship care – living with a relative who is not your parent
- being looked after at home with the help of social workers
- living in a residential unit or school
- Foster care
- living in a secure unit (such as those provided by a Local Authority, a religious organisation or a charity)
- adoption
Care-experienced students studying above SCQF level 6 must apply to SAAS for their funding. The bursary of £8,100 replaces the current income-assessed living cost loan and bursary. If you are in receipt of the Care-experienced Bursary you are not eligible to apply for a student loan.
Help may also be available with your accommodation costs over the summer holidays (which fall between each year of your course) in form of a Care-experienced Accommodation Grant, with a maximum of £105 per week. SAAS will pay this directly to the person that is providing you with accommodation.
Under 22s Free Bus Travel Scheme
All young people and children aged 5-21 years can apply for a card to access the Young Persons’ (under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme. You will need to carry a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC with the valid free travel entitlement with you whenever you want to take the bus.
Childcare funding
Childcare funds are designed to provide financial assistance to students whose entry to, or continuation of, their chosen course at SRUC may be inhibited by the cost of childcare.
Childcare funding is limited and is allocated on a first come, first served basis.
If you have children, you can claim assistance with your childcare costs. They must be with a registered nursery/childminder and you can only claim costs for the days when you are timetabled to be in college or in a mandatory work placement as part of your course. Payments will not be paid if you do not regularly attend class or the work placement. Applications for support from the Childcare Fund are income-assessed.
Lone parent students who pay all or part of the cost for registered childcare can receive up to £1,215 a year in the form of a Lone Parent Childcare Grant. This grant is not income assessed. However, a student must provide proof that they are a lone parent with registered childcare expenses. This fund will be open for students who hold offers with SRUC from June. Students who receive childcare funding from any other source (such as the childcare element of working tax credits) should not apply for this grant. If lone parents have childcare costs in excess of £1,215 they will be considered for additional support from the Discretionary Childcare Fund, but this element of support will be income-assessed.
Discretionary Fund
The purpose of the Discretionary Fund is to assist students who endure financial difficulties while attending college. Students need to meet the residence criteria and have exhausted all other funds before applying to the Discretionary Fund.
It is used mostly to assist students who have their own accommodation and require assistance in paying their housing costs and associated expenses. Students need to be aware that funds are cash-limited and any award made will likely be insufficient to cover your full housing/rent costs. Students who apply must be able to provide official documents to support any claim for additional financial support. The amount each student receives will be dependent on their personal circumstances. Students do not need to repay this fund; however, money is limited, so not all applications are successful.
This fund will be open to students during induction week.
IT equipment for blended learning
Students might require the use of IT equipment while SRUC continues with blended learning. It is important that you have the equipment available at home to enable you to study online if necessary. A smartphone is not suitable for online classes or course work, so you'll need either a Chromebook or a laptop. SRUC are able to provide loan equipment for students who do not have access to either.
If you have a place on an SRUC course we will email you prior to Welcome Week, asking you to complete an online registration. As part of this, you will be asked to complete an IT resource assessment form. Please let us know if you need a loan device and confirm that you have broadband available, with full connectivity.
If you have any questions please contact registryfunding@sruc.ac.uk.
For more help with student finance, higher education funding and other aspects of student life, visit the Student Information Scotland website.
