Higher Education courses are those at Higher National Certificate level or above (that is Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF) level 7 or above). They can be taken at colleges or at universities throughout the UK and include:
• an undergraduate honours degree;
• an undergraduate ordinary degree; and
• a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND).
The amount of support you will get for a Higher Education course will depend on a number of factors including your age, personal/financial circumstances and whether the course of study is full-time or part time/distance-learning.
Full-time
A full-time course:
• in a Higher Education institution involves the student in an average of at least 21 hours study a week, including private study, for periods of more than 24 weeks per year or, in the final year, for 24 weeks or less if the earlier years met the definition of full-time;
• in a Further Education college delivers at least 12 SCQF credits or 480 planned hours within the academic year.
Most students will get their tuition fees paid by Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). The main support for Higher Education will be through a student loan which will be partly income-assessed. There is a bursary available and a number of income-assessed grants (such as travel expenses and grants for lone parents and those who have a disability). More information is available on the full-time study page.
Part-time
Part-time study includes all study that is not full-time and can range from a morning/afternoon or evening class, day or block release, and can include infilling into classes of full-time courses.
Most students studying part-time and on distance-learning courses will have to pay tuition fees.
However, ILA Scotland offers up to £500 towards course fees for part-time Higher Education courses.
To qualify you must be 16 and living in Scotland and have an income (not household) of £18,000 a year or less. You must be studying for 50% or more of the time needed to complete a full-time Higher Education course and studying with an ILA Scotland approved college or university.
Any higher education course at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) levels 7, 8, 9 and 10 is eligible for this funding. Professional Graduate Diplomas and Certificates in Education (SCQF level 11) will also be funded.
And the money is not a loan so you don't have to pay it back.
Students studying part-time or through distance-learning are not eligible for living cost assistance. However, your college or university may be able to give you extra support from their Discretionary Fund. Colleges and universities can provide flexible support for part-time students which you can use for study costs, travel costs and childcare costs which the college or university will base on your individual need rather than on fixed levels of income.
You may also be eligible for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you have extra costs to do your course because you have a disability. Contact SAAS if you want more information about the loan or the DSA. More detailed information is available on the part-time study page.