Finance and Funding are important aspects to consider when thinking about going to college.
Different courses are funded in different ways, and the level of funding available to you will depend on your individual and family circumstances.
Additional support is available for any pupils who have been ever been in Care. If this applies to you, make sure to record this on your application form, this will alert the college to contact you about your additional support.
If you have received a bursary at school, you may already be a familiar with funding and finance. At college, a bursary is paid for courses which are NC level or below (where applicable and considered on an individual basis). Colleges will be apply to provide you with more information on this funding route.
For courses, HNC level and above, the main funding body for Scottish students is SAAS- The Student Awards Agency for Scotland. Each year you must apply to SAAS for an award for your tuition fees/ grants and bursaries. Through SAAS you can also apply for a student loan which will be payable by SLC- Student Loans Company
If you are not classed as a Scottish student, there may be other funding bodies to which you would apply.
To find out more Scottish students can visit the SAAS website:
To find out more about funding and finance in general (for Scottish and EU Students):
https://www.mygov.scot/student-finance-apply/how-to-apply
Student funding is complex and always considered on an individual basis. The important thing to be aware of is that once you start using funding at a particular level, you may not then be able to receive full funding at that level again.
If you start an HND course which is 2 years, you would then progress to the next stage which would be 3rd year at university. If you then decided that you wanted to study at HND level again, you would need to ask SAAS/ SLC what the funding may look like for you. Funding is typically awarded on the basis that you will progress in your chosen area.
There can be different costs involved in going to college, for example travel, books and equipment and accommodation. As part of your Routes for All sessions we will consider funding and finance. The best place to start when thinking about funding and finance is to make a realistic budget to cover all costs. If you would like some help with this please let a staff member or mentor at Routes for All know.
Last updated 09th February 2022
