This section gives information about the travel expenses we can pay for session 2008-2009 to students who are studying an HNC, HND, Degree (except nursing), PGDE, PGDipCE and other postgraduate courses that we assist under the Postgraduate Students' Allowances Scheme.
The following links take you to the relevant section of this page.
- Expenses we will pay you
- Expenses we will not normally pay you
- The most we can pay you
- Concessionary Travel Scheme for 16-18 year olds
- How and when to claim your travel expenses
- Advance payments of travel expenses
- Examples of the travel expenses we will pay
Expenses we will pay you
We can help you with the cost of daily travel to your college or university each day. If you live away from home we may also pay the cost of travel between your home and term-time address at the start and end of each term or semester. If your home is outside the UK then the following arrangements will apply.
- If you are a UK national or family member of such a national and your home is in the EU, EEA or Switzerland, and you are eligible to apply to us for your main support, we may also pay the cost of your travel between your home and term-time address at the start and end of each term or semester.
- If your home is outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland , we will only pay for travel costs to and from the point of departure and arrival in the United Kingdom.
Travel expenses are income-assessed, the amount we will pay depends on your, your parents' or husband's, wife's, civil partner's or partner's income. When we assessed your main support we told you how much your parents or husband, wife, civil partner or partner would have to contribute. We set this contribution against any loan, bursary or grants you are entitled to, including travel. If you did not give us income details on your main support application form, and you want help with your travel costs, you will need to ask your parents or husband, wife, civil partner or partner to fill in this form and send it to us with your travel claim.
^ Return to the top of the page.
Expenses we will not normally pay you
We will not pay the first £155 of any claim (£80 if you are studying one of the Allied Health Professions or a postgraduate course that you cannot get a student loan for). We expect you to pay this from your student loan, bursary or your own resources.
We will not pay for single or return fares if there is a cheaper alternative, for example a weekly, monthly or 10 week ticket. We will only pay for the most economical fares available for the type of transport you use. If you need to buy a student railcard or bus pass to get the cheapest fares, we will pay the cost of this. You should ask for and keep receipts as we may ask to see them.
We will not normally pay your travel costs if:
- you live within easy walking distance of your college or university;
- your expenses are less than £155 (£80 if you are studying one of the Allied Health Professions);
- you have only claimed your tuition fees from us (or your fees and a non income-assessed loan); or
- you are on a paid placement.
We will also not normally pay for:
- air fares within the UK . We will only pay air fares where you can prove that the air fare is cheaper than other transport, or you live in Orkney, Shetland or the Western Isles and have to travel to study on the mainland (you will have to give us receipts or other evidence of the airfare you have paid, otherwise we will restrict your claim to the cheapest alternative fare available, for example travel by boat). Students from some parts of the Highlands and Islands may be eligible for reduced air fares under the ' Air Discount Scheme ';
- private transport (unless there are exceptional circumstances - for example, if you live in a rural area where public transport is not available, we will restrict claims to the cost of pubic transport);
- taxi's, unless you have a disability and you cannot travel by car or public transport. If this is the case you should contact our Disabled Students' Allowance team on 0845 111 0244 who will tell you how to apply.
- parking fees, tips, carrying luggage, bicycles or pets, or food and drink for the journey; or
- travel for vacation and field courses (your institution may be able to help you with these costs).
^ Return to the top of the page.
The most we can pay you
The most we can pay for travel expenses depends on whether you live in your parents' home or elsewhere, and whether you are married, in a civil partnership or are living with a partner, an independent student or dependent on your parents.
If you live away from home while you study, the most we will pay is £3 a day (£3.50 if you are studying in the London area) for travel to your college or university each day. If you are living away from home, you many also claim one return journey for each term or semester to and from your term-time address.
The following examples show the maximum travel expenses we will pay. (This is based on a standard 30-week course. If your course lasts longer than 30 weeks, we will pay up to £15 more for each extra week). If your travel costs are more than the maximum we can pay, you may get help from the college or university hardship fund. Contact the student support services team at your college or university for an application form.
Maximum amounts
- A dependent student living in their parents' home - £790 (945-£155)
- A dependent student living in term-time accommodation - £450 plus three return journeys between their parents' home and their term-time address, less £155
- An independent student living in their parents' home - £930 (£1,085 - £155)
- An independent student living in their own home £930 (£1,085-£155)
- An independent student living in term-time accommodation - £450 plus three return journeys between their home and their term-time address, less £155
- If you are doing clinical training or electives (an optional course or hospital placement) within Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you may claim the full cost of any reasonable travelling expenses. This means that we may pay you more than the highest amounts we would normally pay as shown above. If you choose to do your clinical training or electives abroad, including the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland and all other European and international locations, we will pay travel expenses from your home to the point of UK departure.
^ Return to the top of the page.
Concessionary Travel Scheme for 16-18 year olds
A new Scotland-Wide Concessionary Travel Scheme for 16-18 year olds started on 8 January 2007. The scheme provides a third off bus and rail travel and if you live on a Scottish island, you are entitled to two free return ferry journeys to the mainland each year. For further information about the scheme, please visit Transport Scotland.
^ Return to the top of the page.
How to claim your travel expenses
The easiest way to apply is on-line from December 2008. If you cannot, or do not want to apply on-line, you can download form AB4 or collect one from your college or university from the middle of December each year.
You should apply to us as soon as possible after the end of your first term or semester. We aim to pay your expenses we approve straight into your bank account within 21 days of receiving your form. It is important that you tell us immediately if your bank account details change.
The closing dates for receiving claims for travel expenses for session 2008-2009 will be:
- 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.
^ Return to the top of the page.
Advance payments of travel expenses
If you are suffering financial hardship, you may apply when you start your course or during the first term for an early payment of 50% of your expenses. If you want an advance payment, you must contact us with details of how much you spend on travel every week or month. We will pay your advance straight into your bank account.
^ Return to the top of the page.
Examples
| Example | How we work out the amount of travel expenses we will pay | What we will pay |
|---|---|---|
A student is on a 36-week course and travels from Paisley to Glasgow every day by train. The student buys 36 one-week passes. |
We will restrict the claim as the student could reduce their travel costs by buying a combination of 10-week, monthly and weekly zonecards. |
The cheapest fare available, up to the maximum travel we can pay. Less £155. |
A student travels from Perth to Dundee and claims the cost of their daily travel. When they applied for their living-costs support, they claimed tuition fees and the non income-assessed loan only. |
We cannot work out the student's entitlement to travel expenses as they did not give us details of their parents' income. | We cannot pay any travel expenses until we have details of their parents' income. We will send out a form for the parents to fill in. |
A student travels from Falkirk to Edinburgh by bus and buys a daily return ticket. They only received tuition fees and the non-income-assessed loan because of the level of their parents' income, and have an unused parents' contribution. |
We will restrict the claim as the student could reduce their travel costs by buying a combination of monthly and weekly tickets. |
The cheapest fare available, up to the maximum travel we can pay. Less £155. Less any unused parents' contribution. |
A student lives within reasonable walking distance of the University in Aberdeen but chooses to travel by bus every day. They return home by train every weekend to Edinburgh . |
We do not pay travel costs if a student lives within easy walking distance of their college or university. We will only pay the costs of the journey home at the start and end of each term or semester. | The discounted rail fares available to students (34% less than the standard fare) for a return journey home at the start and end of each term or semester. The cost of buying a student railcard. Less £155. |
A student travels from Edinburgh to Perth every day and claims £2,000 using the cheapest fare available. |
There is a limit to the expenses we will pay. Although the student has used the cheapest fare available, we cannot pay the full amount. |
The maximum travel we can pay. Less £155. |
A student travels from Ayr to Dumfries every day by car. |
We do not normally pay for private transport. We will restrict the costs to the use of public transport. | The cheapest fare available using public transport, up to the maximum we can pay. Less £155. |