Part-time Students

Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) administer a Part-Time Fee Grant, which is a great scheme to help meet the tuition costs of part time study. To qualify for this support, you must meet the SAAS residency conditions, have an individual income of £25,000 a year or less, including bonuses and overtime, and be undertaking between 30 and 119 credits in each year of study.

The level of funding you can get will depend on the number of credits you do and is awarded on a pro-rata basis, using the full-time tuition fee rate as a base. Full-time students will study 120 credits per year with tuition fees costing £1,820. If you were to study 60 credits, which is half the amount of a full-time student, you would receive half of £1,820, so £910.

The SAAS website has more information about the Part Time Fee Grant, including a calculator to help you work out how much they will award. You can also download copies of the application from, which will need to be signed by the University before submission. This confirms how many modules/credits you will be studying so should be signed by a nominated person in your School of study who is able to confirm this detail.

Many students undertake part-time studies as part of their professional development. It would certainly depend on the type of work you do and company you work for, but some organisations and businesses will have funding to support staff development. Talk to your employer about the support they may be able to provide.

If you are being funded by an employer, check out our information on Payment Methods and Pro Rata Charges.

Part-time study can be incredibly flexible, which makes it an ideal route for students who are self-funding. By approaching a course in bite sized way, you could study what you were able to afford.

Check out our information on Payment Methods and Pro Rata Charges.

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 are 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 webpage. Click on the link below and you will find a lot of resources to help get you started. Just remember, we can’t possibly include every fund on our webpage, so don’t limit yourself to this page alone.

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.

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