Scottish degree programmes are designed to include four years of study to give you a broader and more flexible education. They allow you to try a range of subjects before specialising. Even if you know exactly what you want to do, you can study additional subjects and add depth to your education.
University is free in Scotland, but only if you're a student from Scotland (or from the EU, and started in the 2020/21 academic year or earlier). If that's you, you won't pay a penny towards tuition fees at Scottish universities – the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) will cover the £1,820 a year for you.
Yes, you can study in Scotland tuition-free, but only in one special case: If you are a UK citizen already resident in Scotland, or a citizen of another EU country, and you are studying for your first undergraduate degree (meaning a Bachelor's degree or a Scottish undergraduate Master's degree) then there are no direct
Postgraduate Loans (Scotland and EU)Loans are available for full-time and part-time postgraduate Diploma and Masters programmes. If you are studying over more than one academic year you must apply for a fee loan in all years of your programme. Your tuition fee loan will be paid directly to your University.
You could receive a bursary of up to £98.79 a week, but this will depend on your age, family circumstances and income. You would not have to pay this bursary back. To be eligible for a bursary, you must meet certain residency conditions.
You can apply for nationality if both or one of your parents qualify for a Scottish passport. Naturalization is also an option available to migrants who have lived in Scotland for at least 10 years. If you meet the requirements under Scottish immigration law, you will qualify for Scottish citizenship.
You pay your student loan back once you've graduated and you're working. You only have to pay it back once you're earning over a certain amount, known as the 'salary threshold'. How much you pay a month depends on how much you earn.
Funding. All Scottish universities are public universities and funded by the Scottish Government (through its Scottish Funding Council) and financial support is provided for Scottish-domiciled students by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.
“As a result of EU law, since this government abolished tuition fees, we have treated EU students in the same way we treat students from Scotland. “EU students who have already started their studies, or who start this autumn, will not be affected and will still be tuition free for the entirety of their course.
Student loansThe maximum loan you can get is £6,750 if you are 25 years or older, married, have dependent children or are self-supporting at the start of your course. If you are under 25 years and none of the above applies to you, the maximum loan is £5,750.
Tuition feesIf you normally live in Scotland you are likely to be assessed as liable for the Home-Scotland tuition fee. If you're studying full time for your first degree, you'll usually be eligible to have these fees paid by the Scottish Government for your full period of study.
The UK's public spending works fairly for Scotland and allows the whole country to pool and share its resources. In 2020 the UK Government guaranteed £8.6 billion of additional funding to help the Scottish Government to respond to coronavirus. How is public spending and revenue distributed to Scotland?
Because they are both democracies and Education spending is a devolved power. English Students studying at Scottish Universities won't get it free, they have to pay for it.
Tuition Fees in ScotlandInternational students from outside the EU are required to pay tuition fees at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Tuition fees vary depending upon your chosen institution.
Comprehensive free healthcare is available to all people living in Scotland. With our Government's commitment to creating a healthier Scotland meaning your health is in very good hands.
Individuals living in Scotland, with an annual income of £25,000 or less, may be eligible for a Part-Time Fee Grant for undergraduate study with The OU. This covers 100% of course fees and is not a loan – you won't need to pay it back. Over half of our students benefit from this funding.
Foreign students recommend studying in Scotland! According to a survey by the Scottish government, 94% of international students in Scotland said it was a good place to be, and 86% of Scottish students would recommend it to others. Scottish universities must be doing something right!
Scottish students get free university tuition - but students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland have to pay to study north of the border. However, students from other parts of the UK do not and Scottish universities charge them tuition fees.
Being part of the UK gives Scotland the best of both worlds. At the same time we benefit from being part of the UK; with a UK Parliament that takes decisions on behalf of everyone in the UK on the economy, defence, national security and international affairs.
It therefore determines the overall funding available for public services such as healthcare and education in the devolved nations. In 2019/20, the Barnett block grant amounted to £32bn in Scotland, £16bn in Wales and £12bn in Northern Ireland (before adjustments to account for tax devolution).
This allocated 80% of funding to England and Wales, 11% to Scotland and 9% to Ireland; hence the Scottish share was 13.75% of the English/Welsh amount.
£660 million UK Government funding for Scotland.
The nominal leaving age was raised to fourteen in 1883 and education was free. By 1908 the system of exemptions was abandoned and precise entry and leaving dates were introduced. The 1872 Act was successful in providing a broad framework for a national system of education.
Following devolution in 1999, the newly devolved governments in Scotland and Wales brought in their own acts on tuition fees. The Scottish Parliament established, and later abolished a graduate endowment to replace the fees.
University fees in ScotlandStudents who live in Scotland can get free university tuition if they stay in Scotland to study. To be eligible, they need to have lived in Scotland for the three years before they applied to university. Students from the rest of the UK who study in Scotland need to pay tuition fees.
Scotland has limited self-government within the UK as well as representation in the UK Parliament. Certain executive and legislative powers have been devolved to, respectively, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament.
EU students who start a new course in academic year 2021-22 will pay international student fees.
EU law states that students must be treated as if they are local students when they go to study in any other EU state. So, Scots do not pay tuition fees, therefore EU students do not. If Scots study in any other EU state, they are treated the same as local students there.
Non-UK students from the EU will be eligible for tuition fee support. Under EU law, the Scottish Government is required to ensure that EU citizens are charged the same tuition fees and provided with equal tuition fee support as Scottish-domiciled students.
UK tuition fees – UK/EU studentsThere are two levels of tuition fees at publicly funded UK universities: home student fees (including EU students) and international student fees. In Scotland, an undergraduate degree is effectively free for students from Scotland and the EU.
RUK students are UK citizens who have been resident in the UK (outside Scotland) for at least three years before the start of their programme of study. Tuition fees for RUK students in 2020/21 are £9,250 per year for three years of a four year Honours degree. This means you will only pay a maximum of £27,750.
There have been financial perks too, for a while. Free university tuition, free prescriptions and free personal care for older people. But last week something new happened. Scotland announced a new income tax system - meaning the majority of Scottish residents will soon be paying less.
Of the 241,935 students enrolled in Scottish HEIs in 2016-17 (both undergraduate and postgraduate), 189,630 (78%) were UK domiciled, 31,045 (13%) were non-EU domiciled and 21,245 (9%) were EU (non-UK) domiciled.
EU students who have started or are due to start at a university or further education institution by 31 July 2021 have 'home fee status' in the UK. This means they pay the same tuition fees as students from the part of the UK where their university is located (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales).
Cost of livingLiving in Scotland is generally less expensive than many other areas in the UK. Weekly household costs can be 20% lower than in London and 10% cheaper than the UK as a whole. So you can have it all, for less.