Funding for Scottish Students

NB: Figures noted below reflect the student support package for the 24-25 academic year, and is an increase to what is available in 23-24. If you are planning to start your studies before September 2024, you will be subject to the lower 23-24 rates of support. 

Funding for students from Scotland is administered by an agency of the Scottish Government known as SAAS (Student Awards Agency Scotland). SAAS operate an online application process and their website has a lot of really useful information about your entitlement and how you apply for it. Applications typically open in April and we recommend applying early to ensure your funding is ready for you starting your course.

SAAS will provide funding for taught postgraduate studies up to Masters level as long as you have not already used UK or EU funds to study at this level. ‘Taught’ refers to courses with an element of teaching, so it is possible to get this funding for distance learning courses where there is a taught element. This can include online tutorials, seminars and webinars.

Full-time students

Student funding packages are made up of a tuition fee loan and living costs loan. The tuition fee loan is worth up to £7,000 and the living cost loan is worth £6,900 and is not income-assessed.

The tuition fee loan is worth up to £7,000. This will be paid directly to the University but you are responsible for applying. Should your course fee be lower than this, you should apply to SAAS for a lower amount. Should it be higher than this, you will remain responsible for meeting the additional costs.

The living costs loan is not income-assessed so you do not need to send SAAS any details of your household income. While you will be eligible for £6,900, you can elect to take out less of a student loan if you do not need your full entitlement.

It is important to note that the above figures are for your 'course' and the living cost payments are spread across the duration of your course. While most full-time MSc courses will last 1 year, if your course lasts longer, such as the MSc Social Work which lasts 2 years, this package of funding is spread over the longer period, making each monthly payment smaller. I.e. the figures noted above are NOT per year of study.

Part-time students

If you are a part-time student undertaking an eligible course you can apply for a tuition fee loan. In order to be eligible for this, you must be completing the course in no longer than twice the length of time it would take to complete if you were a full-time student. For example, if your course is available to full-time students as a 1 year MSc, you will be funded for a maximum of 2 years' part-time study. If it is available to full-time students as a 2 year MSc, you will be funded for a maximum of 4 years' part-time study. 

In all cases the fee is split equally across all years of the course, so you do need to plan your studies in advance. You should apply for this in each year study and are not eligible for any living cost support.

The total tuition fee loan, across all years of the course, is worth up to a maximum of £7,000. This will be paid directly to the University but you are responsible for applying. Should your course fee be lower than this, you should apply to SAAS for a lower amount. Should it be higher than this, you will remain responsible for meeting the additional costs.

Remember that your support will be in the form of loans, which need to be paid back. You do not have to take out the student loan, or can elect to take out only a proportion of what you are offered. The student loan is repayable and does accrue interest but it is much cheaper than other types of finance such as bank loans, overdrafts or credit cards. 

Find out more about how the student loan works by visiting our Debt & Borrowing webpage.

Postgraduate Bursaries are available for nominated and eligible students studying the MSc Social Work at UWS. This is administered through the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). Funding is limited and subject to a quota. Students must be nominated by the University, who will have a set number of funded places. Nominations are at the discretion of the academic teaching team, who you should contact directly with any questions relating to this process.

The bursary is made up of:

• Tuition fees, which are paid directly to the University on your behalf. Please be aware that the maximum award available may not cover your tuition in full. You will be responsible for meeting the cost of any shortfall.
• Means tested maintenance grant and additional allowances depending on circumstances. Your personal situation and household income is used to determine this support. If you are under 25, this will usually be based on your parent’s income. Additional allowances may be available for parents in the form of a single parent allowance, dependents allowance and childcare allowance.
• Sundry Expenses - all eligible students will receive a one-off payment towards placement travel and other expenses.

Please see the documents below for information on the award rates and assessment criteria: 

• SSSC Schedule of Rates 2022/23 (pdf)

There is no guarantee that a University will nominate a student for a Bursary and they may have more students than quota places. If you have studied a Postgraduate course previously this may also affect your eligibility.

Please note, if you are not nominated to apply for the Bursary, or are not eligible to receive the Bursary, you can apply to SAAS for funding, through the SAAS Postgraduate Loan Scheme, but should note the following...

• You cannot apply for both SSSC and SAAS support. SSSC support should be your primary source of funding, and SAAS should only become an option if you are not nominated for, or not eligible to receive, SSSC funding.
• If applying to SAAS you must meet any eligibility criteria, including in relation to residency and previous study.
• The SAAS Postgraduate Loan Scheme, detailed in the section above, offers a set package of funding for the entirety of your MSc course, no matter how long the course lasts. I.e. This set package of funding will be split across the duration of your studies, which in this case is 2 years. You do not receive the advertised amounts in each year of study and should therefore plan your finances carefully.
• Please also note that, the SAAS package of support does not include any addiitonal elements for travel or placement expenses. These costs can be quite significant so it will be important for you to plan and budget for your studies and placements. You can find lots of helpful resources and support for budgeting on our Money Advice pages.

For further information, please contact the SSSC or SAAS as relevant.

There are lots of alternative sources of funding, like charities and trusts, that can help finance your studies. These can include grants that can pay tuition fees, living cost support and funding for research expenses so this can be a good avenue to explore whether you have been unable to get funding through the above sources, or a simply looking to top this up.

When searching for additional financial support, it is important to understand that this can take up a lot of time. While there is no guarantee that you will find a source of funds for you, you definitely won’t find anything if you don’t try.

This type of funding can vary from small amounts, such as £200, to larger amounts that might cover your full tuition fee for a year. Most students who achieve success with these types of funds do so because they continually research and apply to everything they can. Numerous grants of £200 can really add up.

It’s also important to remember that most of these funds are competitive, similar to applying for a job. Many people might apply, but there may be only one award available. As such, it is important that you spend time on any application. Carefully follow any guidance notes and make sure your application will stand out in a crowd.

The best place to start exploring this avenue is through our Alternative Trusts and Scholarships page. Click on the link and you will find a lot of resources to help get you started. Just remember, we can’t possibly include every fund on our page, so don’t limit yourself to this page alone.

It's important to remember that you are responsible for meeting the cost of tuition throughout your studies, so if you do not apply for support, are not eligible to receive this, or the support you do receive does not cover your full tuition fee amount, you will be classed as a self-funded student and will be expected to meet this cost yourself.

It's important to plan ahead if you are going to be funding your studies yourself. In most cases, you will be able to spread the cost over the academic year, but that is still an additional monthly expense that you should plan for. You will also be required to pay a deposit at the point you enrol, and enrolment will not be completed until this is done, meaning any student funding you are due to receive will be delayed.

Check out FAQs.

Remember, your full-time student funding is awarded as a contribution towards your living costs, and is not designed to cover the cost of tuition. If you are self-funding, we encourage you think of the tuition fees as another expense you are committing to, and think carefully about how affordable this is for you.

Plan ahead by visiting our Budgeting and Planning web pages.

UWS offer a range of courses that are designed for individuals to undertake as part of their professional development, and with the support of an employer.

In some cases an employer may meet the cost of tuition. 

Where a course requires students to work in a relevant role, and therefore continue to be employed, students are advised to check the eligibility of their course for student funding.  The rules can be complex, so it is always best to ask for advice if you are unsure.

If you are a member of the Armed Forces, you may be eligible to apply for financial support for studies through the MODs Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme. Many of the courses available at UWS are registered as part of this scheme, which could provide some financial support towards the cost of tuition, should you not be eligible for SAAS, who in most cases can cover the full amount.

Find our more about the scheme

It's important to understand that becoming a full-time student will impact any benefits you might be receiving, such as Universal Credit.

Your status as a student might mean you are no longer eligible to claim benefits. If you are still eligible to claim, your student funding will be taken into account for any benefit calculations, which may reduce the amount you receive during your studies. In some cases, you may not receive any benefits at all, so it is important to plan ahead and budget with this in mind.

Visit our Benefits page for more information, but we also recommend getting specialist benefits advice before you start your course. You can get this from organisations like Citizens Advice, or advice centres in your local area.