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Going to University in Scotland

Tuition fees

The standard tuition fee for an undergraduate degree course in Scotland in 2013 is £1,820.

  • The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) will pay these fees if you meet eligibility conditions; for example, if you are a Scottish resident and/or a qualifying non-UK EC student.
  • From 2012, if you come from the Rest of the UK (RUK), universities in Scotland will charge you variable fees up to a maximum of £9,000 just like England and Wales. 
  • Undergraduate Scholarships and Bursaries are available for eligible students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales to help offset these higher fees. 
  • Students will not have to pay upfront for tuition. Check the fees for the courses you are interested in before you make your UCAS choices. 
  • For international students a different scale of fees is chargeable. All universities clearly show course fees on their websites.
  • You should take steps to apply for student finance as soon as the cycle begins in spring in order to guarantee that funds are available when you begin your course.
  • Note that if you have studied a course of higher education before, this may affect the level of support you are entitled to.
  • To find out what tuition fees the universities are charging for 2013 entry, visit our university profiles and click on the Fees & Finance tab.
  • Check out the Student Loan Repayment Calculator for an indication of how much you might repay and over what period of time.
  • Starting in 2013, tuition fee support for dual EU (non UK)/UK nationals changes. Check with SAAS for details.

Tuition fee loans

If you come from Scotland

  • Payment of your fees does not happen automatically. You must apply to SAAS to have you fees paid in each year of your course.
  • For new students, the deadline date for applications to SAAS to guarantee that funds are in place for the beginning of the academic year is 30 June, 2013. The final closing date for receiving applications in session 2013–14 is 31 March 2014.

If you come from Northern Ireland

  • You apply to Student Finance NI for a loan to cover your tuition fees.
  • For new students, the deadline date for applications to Student Finance NI to guarantee that funds are in place for the beginning of the academic year was 12 April 2013. The latest you can apply is nine months after the first day of the academic year of your course, around 31 May 2014.
  • After you have graduated you will start re-paying the loan once you are earning over £16,365 a year.
  • You can make extra voluntary payments straight to the SLC to reduce your loan quicker.

If you come from Wales

  • You apply to Student Finance Wales for a loan of up to £3,575. 
  • A new Fee Grant will pay the balance of the tuition fee up to a maximum grant of £5,425 if a tuition fee of £9,000 is charged.
  • For new students, the deadline date for applications to Student Finance Wales to guarantee that funds are in place for the beginning of the academic year was 19 April, 2013. The latest you can apply is nine months after the first day of the academic year of your course, around 31 May 2014.
  • After you have graduated you will start re-paying the loan once you are earning more than £21,000 per year.
  • Your local authority student finance office will assess your eligibility for support and the Student Loans Company (SLC) will handle the payments.

If you come from England

  • You apply to Student Finance England for a loan to cover your tuition fees. This loan is not means tested. 
  • SLC pays your tuition fees direct to your university.
  • For new students, the deadline date for applications to Student Finance England to guarantee that funds are in place for the beginning of the academic year was 28 April, 2013. The latest you can apply is nine months after the first day of the academic year of your course, around 31 May, 2014.
  • After you have graduated you will start re-paying the loan once you are earning more than £21,000 per year.

If you come from the (non-UK) EU, EEA or Switzerland, or if you’re the child of a Turkish worker in the UK

  • If you satisfy eligibility requirements you will be able to apply to SAAS for payment of your tuition fees. Contact SAAS at:
The Student Awards Agency for Scotland
Gyleview House
3 Redheughs Rigg
EDINBURGH
EH12 9HH
Telephone: 044 300 555 0505 (choose option 4)
From a mobile call: +44 300 555 0505 (choose option 4)

If you are an international student, from overseas

Useful links

Next page: Going to University in Wales

Next page: Funding Your Living Costs

Next Steps

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