This bursary is available to young students studying in Scotland who are from a low income family. Most school leavers will be classed as 'young' and even if you haven't left school recently, you may be eligible for this bursary. The amount available will depend on the level of your household income as shown in the table below.
You will be eligible if you meet all of the following conditions.
- You are eligible for help with the standard rate of tuition fees for the level of course you are doing.
- You are Scottish domiciled and studying in Scotland.
- You are taking a full-time course of higher education (HNC, HND, degree or an equivalent course) or you are taking a PGDE.
- You are or were under 25 before the first day of the first academic year of your course. However, if you are married, in a civil partnership, live with a partner or you have supported yourself from earnings or benefits outside full-time education for any three years before the first day of the first academic year of your course, and you do not have a child that is dependant on you, you will not be eligible to receive the bursary.
If you have received support from UK or other EU public funds for a course of higher education before or you have to repeat a year of your course, you may not be eligible for the bursary. Also, if your course requires you to undertake a period of paid placement, you will not be able to claim the Young Students' Bursary during this time.
We pay this bursary instead of part of your loan for living costs so it reduces the amount of loan you need to take out. We will pay you the highest amount of £2,640 a year if your household income is £19,310 or less a year. The bursary will go down to £2,163 a year for a household income of £22,000 and then down to zero for a household income over £34,195 a year.
If your household has an income of over £34,195 a year, you will not qualify for a Young Students' Bursary and your living-cost support will be entirely through a student loan. The amount of loan available will go down as your household income goes up.
If you are single and are eligible to receive the Young Students' Bursary and get married, enter a civil partnership agreement or move in with a partner during your course, you will continue to be eligible to receive the Young Students' Bursary. From the academic year following the date of your marriage, civil partnership agreement or when you move in with someone, the amount of Young Students' Bursary you receive will depend on your husband's, wife's, civil partner's or partner's income rather than your parents', step parents's or parent's partner's income.
If you turn 25 during your course and you are single, you will receive the maximum Young Students' Bursary from the following academic year as long as you do not have a break in study of one year or more.
Level of Young Students' Bursary
By taking the level of your household's income and looking across the table below, you should be able to work out how much bursary you will receive.
| Income £ |
Assessed bursary £ |
Income £ |
Assessed bursary £ |
Income £ |
Assessed bursary £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19,310 | 2,640 | 26,000 | 1,453 | 33,000 | 212 |
| 20,000 | 2,518 | 27,000 | 1,276 | 34,000 | 50 |
| 21,000 | 2,340 | 28,000 | 1,099 | 34,195 | 50 |
| 22,000 | 2,163 | 29,000 | 921 | 35,000 | 0 |
| 23,000 | 1,986 | 30,000 | 744 | ||
| 24,000 | 1,808 | 31,000 | 567 | ||
| 25,000 | 1,631 | 32,000 | 389 |