Postgraduate Loans (SAAS) (Scotland and EU)

The Scottish Government offers postgraduate loans to those who are due to commence a taught Masters or Diploma programme of study in the 2018-2019 academic session.

 Postgraduate Loans (Scotland and EU)

Loans are available for students undertaking full-time and part-time taught* Masters and postgraduate Diploma programmes.   If you are studying over more than one academic year you must apply for a fee loan in all years of your programme.

Students from Scotland

Full-time students can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £5,500 and a non-income assessed living cost loan up to £4,500.

Part-time students undertaking study over two years can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £5,500 for the programme, split across each year of their study.  The living cost loan is not available for part-time programmes.

Eligibility 

• you must be a UK national (or have settled status) and been ordinarily resident in Scotland for three years on the first day of the first academic year of your degree programme;
• you must be 'ordinarily resident' in Scotland (temporary absence from your home address, such as for education or travelling, will not prevent you from being eligible to apply for a PGL);
• you must be aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your degree programme.

Students from the EU

EU students who  meet the SAAS residency criteria can apply for both a tuition fee loan up to £5,500 and a non-income assessed living cost loan up to £4,500 for taught full-time programmes.

EU students who do not meet the SAAS residency criteria can apply for a tuition fee loan only.

Eligibility

• you must be an EU national  and been ordinarily resident in the EU/EEA/Switzerland for three years on the first day of the first academic year of your degree programme;
• you must be aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your degree programme.

SAAS residence eligibility rules

You will not be eligible for PGL if:

Full-time

• taught* Masters programmes no longer than 2 years in length;
• taught* postgraduate Diploma programmes no longer than one year in length.

Part-time

• taught* Masters and postgraduate Diploma programmes no longer than twice the length of the full-time equivalent programme;
• if the full-time Masters programme is 1 year in length and the part-time options are available for students to study over 2, 3 and 4 years, SAAS will only offer support to those students undertaking the 2 year option.  SAAS will not part fund 3 year and 4 year part-time programmes;
• SAAS has confirmed that Masters programmes which are only offered on a part-time basis over 3 years are eligible for funding.

*SAAS has stated that 'taught' Masters programmes may include Masters by Research programmes with a taught element.  If you are unable to select your Masters by Research programme on your SAAS application, please contact the Fees and Student Support Team.

Programmes not eligible

• Masters programmes currently funded by the undergraduate support system (eg Master of Architecture, Integrated Masters and PGDE);
• Certificate programmes;
• programmes invoiced at course level (ICL) with a part-time intermittent method of study - these part-time programmes are offered as flexible learning  over 4 to 6 years of study..

Applying

You can apply online at SAAS from April 2018.

Payment

Payments will be released after you have registered on your degree programme and the University has confirmed your attendance to the Student Loan Company (SLC) and Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) at the start of the academic session.

Tuition fee payment will be made directly to the University.

Repayment

SAAS information on Repaying your Student Loan