Application process
What you need to do
- Apply on-line or fill in an application form as early as possible to make sure that you get your money at the start of the first term.
- If you are applying to us for the first time, apply as soon as you know what course you want to do. Do not wait for exam results or a firm offer.
- If your application is late there may be a delay with your payments. You may receive no support, including tuition fees, if we receive your application after the final closing date.
- Give us all the details we ask for and send us a copy of any documents we ask for. Do not send us original documents as we cannot guarantee their safe return.
What we will do
- We need the information you give us to work out whether you are eligible for support.
- We will assess your entitlement and send you an award notice that will tell you how much support you will get from us and how we will pay this.
- We aim to process correctly filled-in applications within 21 days of us receiving them. If you do not receive an award notice within 28 days you should contact us on 0845 111 1711. You can also use your SAAS reference number or SLC (Student Loans Company) reference number, that we give you on your award notice, to check the progress of your application in the services section of this site.
- If you have applied for a loan we will send the necessary information electronically to the SLC so they know how much loan to pay you.
- The SLC will send you a payment schedule which will tell you how and when they will pay your loan.
Getting the money you are due
- You must take your award notice to your college or university when you enrol.
- Your college or university must tell us that you have enrolled on your course.
- We will then release any payments of tuition fees and any support due to you, as appropriate.
- If we do not get confirmation that you have enrolled on your course, we may cancel your award and proceed with any action necessary to recover any money we have paid.
Paying your tuition fees
- We will pay your tuition fees, (or our contribution to them) if you are studying at a UK institution outside Scotland and started before session 2006-2007, straight to your college or university.
- If you are studying at a UK institution outside Scotland that you started in session 2006-2007 or later and you have applied to us for a loan to pay all or some of your fees, we will tell your college or university the amount of fees we are paying on your behalf, in the form of a loan.
- We pay tuition fees for all eligible students who are attending their course at a specific 'cut-off' date (for example, 1 December for courses which start in autumn). Whether or not we pay fees will depend on whether you are attending your course on or after the cut-off date. We will not pay tuition fees for students who withdraw before this date.
- If you transfer to another institution, we will pay the fee to the institution you are attending on the cut-off date. If your college or university charges you a higher rate of fee for your new course, we will not pay the difference.
Paying your bursary and grants
- We will normally pay instalments of any bursary or grants (other than travel) straight into your bank account on a monthly basis. However, if you are doing a postgraduate course (except a PGDE or PGDipCE) or attend at a UK institution outside Scotland , we will pay instalments straight into your bank account at the start of each term of semester. The award notice we send you will confirm how and when we will pay you.
- We will normally pay travel expenses straight into your bank account.
- You must tell us if you change your bank details and at least four weeks before your payment is due.
- We pay awards only for periods of full-time attendance. If you leave your course you must tell us as soon after the event as possible. Depending on when you withdraw you may have to pay us back some of your award.
Paying your student loan
- The SLC will normally pay your loan on a monthly basis straight into your bank account. However, if you attend a UK institution outside Scotland , they will pay your loan straight into your bank account at the start and end of each term or semester.
- You must tell the SLC immediately if you change your bank details.
Changes in your circumstances
- You must tell us if there are any changes in your circumstances, which might affect any award due to you.
- If you apply on-line for your support you can use our on-line service to tell us about any change.
- We have a duty to protect the public funds we handle. When you apply we will ask you to agree to repay any money which we have paid but which you were not entitled to.
You may need to pay back any support you have received if:
- your circumstances, as described in your application, change;
- you fail to meet the conditions of support;
- Scottish Ministers decide to revise the amount of your support; or
- Scottish Ministers find that you received support that you were not entitled to.
- If you do not tell us of any change in your circumstances, you may have to pay back the award we give you.
- If we have to assess your entitlement again, we will send you a new award notice.
- If you have applied for a loan, we will also tell the SLC of any changes and, where appropriate, they will issue a revised payment schedule.
- If you withdraw from your course, we expect both you and your institution to tell us and the SLC.
Change of course or institution
You must tell us if you change course or university or college as this may change the level of living-costs support you are due and where we pay your tuition fees.
Withdraw
If you withdraw from your course you must inform us and the SLC as soon after you withdraw as possible. If you do not do this we may continue to pay you money after you have left the course. This means that we will then have to ask you to pay back the money you have received that you are not due.
Temporary withdrawal (Suspension)
If you have to temporarily withdraw from your course due to illness or because you have to care for someone, you can continue to receive support from us. After recovering or ending your caring duties, you may have to wait until the next academic year to rejoin your course. If that happens, you may be able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance and Housing Benefit, for no more than a year, until the day before you rejoin your course of study.
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Closing dates
Closing dates for main support (fees, loans, bursary and grants) applications
You should apply on-line or fill in an application form with details of any support you wish to claim for. Your application for tuition fees and living cost support is only valid for one academic session.
The academic sessions for 2008-2009 are as follows.
- For courses starting between 1 August 2008 and 31 December 2008 - 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2009.
- For courses starting between 1 January 2009 and 31 March 2009 - 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009.
- For courses starting between 1 April 2009 and 30 June 2009 - 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010.
- For courses starting between 1 July 2009 and 31 July 2009 - 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010.
The final closing dates for receiving applications in session 2008-2009 are as follows.
- 30 June 2009 for courses that start between 1 August 2008 and 31 December 2008.
- 30 November 2009 for courses that start between 1 January 2009 and 31 March 2009.
- 28 February 2010 for courses that start between 1 April 2009 and 30 June 2009.
- 31 May 2010 for courses that start between 1 July 2009 and 31 July 2009.
If you are studying in a UK institution outside Scotland, and you are eligible to apply for a loan to pay your fees, you must apply for your loan before 31 December 2008 if your course starts in the autumn (this will be 31 March 2009, 30 June 2009 or 31 July 2009 if your course starts later).
If we receive your application after the final closing date, you will receive no support, including tuition fees. Please remember that it is up to you to make sure that we receive your application before the final closing date. If you do not receive an award notice within 28 days of you sending us your application form, you should contact us on 0845 111 1711.
Closing dates for travel applications
You can fill in your application for travel expenses on-line after the end of your first term or semester. Or, you can download a travel expenses claim form AB4 from our website from the end of December each year. We also send claim forms to institutions at the same time. We normally pay travel expenses straight into your bank account within 21 days of receiving your form. If your course starts in the autumn term, and we receive your claim after 31 January 2009, there may be a delay with your payment.
The final closing dates for receiving travel expenses claims for session 2008-2009 are as follows:
- 31 July 2009 for courses that start in the autumn term;
- 31 December 2009 for courses that start in the spring term; and
- 31 March 2010 for courses that start in the summer term.
If we receive your claim after the final closing date, you will receive no expenses. Please remember that it is up to you to make sure that we receive your claim before the final closing date. We will not send you anything which tells you how much we will pay. If you do not receive a payment in your bank account within 21 days of receiving your form, you should contact us on 0845 111 1711.