We know that with good financial support each and every student can succeed.
The Care Experienced Student Bursary is now available for college and university students. It pays £9,000 per year to eligible students. How you apply and how often it is paid depends on whether you are at college or university. Have a look at our FAQs for more details:
- For all college courses except HNCs/HNDs, please see our FE Bursary FAQs.
- For all university courses and HNC/HND study at college, please see our HE Bursary FAQs.
Further information, including a details of the definition of ‘care experience’ that SAAS use, is available on their website.
If you are in any doubt about your status you should contact SAAS on 0300 555 0505. Still unclear? Contact the Hub here!
Individual university bursaries
Most universities have additional bursaries or grants that you can apply for in addition to the SAAS bursary.
See below for links to our partners’ information pages if you want to find out more about what is available from each one.
Heriot-Watt University:
https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/student-support/care-leavers.htm
Edinburgh Napier University:
Care experienced students, student carers and estranged students (napier.ac.uk)
The University of Edinburgh:
Access Awards | The University of Edinburgh
Open University:
http://www.open.ac.uk/scotland/study/care-experienced
Queen Margaret University:
https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/student-services/support-for-care-leavers/
Edinburgh College
http://doc.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/student%20life/funding/care%20experienced.pdf
Regular SAAS funding
If you are not eligible for the Care Experienced Student bursary you may still be eligible for SAAS’s package of tuition fee/loan/grant support. They have different packages for full-time and part-time study. Get in touch with the Hub if you’d like us to help you explore your options!
Age limit? What age limit? There was previously an upper age limit of 26 for these awards but it has now been removed!
On Universal Credit and thinking about returning to study? Our friends at the Child Poverty Action Group have made this helpful factsheet about how the bursary affects your UC payments: CPAG Scotland Benefits for Care Experienced Students