Application process
What you need to do
- Submit a correctly completed application online before the end of June 2012 to ensure you get your money at the start of your first term.
- If you are applying to us for the first time, apply as soon as you know what course you want to do. Do not wait for exam results or a firm offer.
- If your application is late there may be a delay with your payments. You may receive no support, including tuition fees, if we receive your application after the final closing date.
- Give us all the details we ask for and send us a clear photocopy of any documents we ask for. We destroy all documents after 30 days.
- If the document(s) you need to send us is/are not in English, along with these documents, you must send us a certified translation. The translation must be carried out by an accredited member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), Institute of Linguists (IoL) or the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) and must be on headed paper showing the ATC or IoL logo or the ITI 'seal'.
What we will do
- We need the information you give us to work out whether you are eligible for support.
- We will assess your entitlement and send you an award notice that will tell you how much support you will get from us and how we will pay this.
- If you have applied for a loan we will send the necessary information electronically to the SLC so they know how much loan to pay you.
- The SLC will send you a payment schedule which will tell you how and when they will pay your loan.
Getting the money you are due
- You must take your award notice to your college or university when you enrol.
- Your college or university must tell us that you have enrolled on your course.
- We will then release any payments of tuition fees and any support due to you, as appropriate.
- If we do not get confirmation that you have enrolled on your course, we may cancel your award and proceed with any action necessary to recover any money we have paid.
Paying your tuition fees
- If you are studying at a UK institution outside Scotland and you have applied to us for a loan to pay all or some of your fees, we will tell your college or university the amount of fees we are paying on your behalf, in the form of a loan.
- We pay tuition fees for all eligible students who are attending their course at a specific 'cut-off' date (for example, 1 December for courses which start in autumn). Whether or not we pay fees will depend on whether you are attending your course on or after the cut-off date. We will not pay tuition fees for students who withdraw before this date.
- If you transfer to another institution, we will pay the fee to the institution you are attending on the cut-off date. If your college or university charges you a higher rate of fee for your new course, we will not pay the difference.
Paying your bursary and grants
- We will normally pay instalments of any bursary or grants straight into your bank account on a monthly basis. However, if you are doing a postgraduate course (except a PGDE) or attend at a UK institution outside Scotland, we will pay instalments straight into your bank account at the start of each term of semester. The award notice we send you will confirm how and when we will pay you.
- You must tell us if you change your bank details and at least four weeks before your payment is due.
- We pay awards only for periods of full-time attendance. If you leave your course you must tell us as soon after the event as possible. Depending on when you withdraw you may have to pay us back some of your award.
Paying your student loan
- The SLC will normally pay your loan on a monthly basis straight into your bank account. However, if you attend a UK institution outside Scotland, they will pay your loan straight into your bank account at the start and end of each term or semester.
- You must tell the SLC immediately if you change your bank details.
Changes in your circumstances
- You must tell us if there are any changes in your circumstances, which might affect any award due to you.
- We have a duty to protect the public funds we handle. When you apply we will ask you to agree to repay any money which we have paid but which you were not entitled to.
You may need to pay back any support you have received if:
- your circumstances, as described in your application, change;
- you fail to meet the conditions of support;
- Scottish Ministers decide to revise the amount of your support; or
- Scottish Ministers find that you received support that you were not entitled to.
- If you do not tell us of any change in your circumstances, you may have to pay back the award we give you.
- If we have to assess your entitlement again, we will send you a new award notice.
- If you have applied for a loan, we will also tell the SLC of any changes and, where appropriate, they will issue a revised payment schedule.
- If you withdraw from your course, we expect both you and your institution to tell us and the SLC.
Change of course or institution
You must tell us if you change course or university or college as this may change the level of living-costs support you are due and where we pay your tuition fees.
Withdraw
If you withdraw from your course you must inform us and the SLC as soon after you withdraw as possible. If you do not do this we may continue to pay you money after you have left the course. This means that we will then have to ask you to pay back the money you have received that you are not due.
Temporary withdrawal (Suspension)
If you have to temporarily withdraw from your course due to illness or because you have to care for someone, you can continue to receive support from us. After recovering or ending your caring duties, you may have to wait until the next academic year to rejoin your course. If that happens, you may be able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance and Housing Benefit, for no more than a year, until the day before you rejoin your course of study.
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Closing dates
Closing dates for main support (fees, loans, bursary and grants) applications
You should apply online with details of any support you wish to claim for. Your application for tuition fees and living cost support is only valid for one academic session.
- The final closing date for receiving applications in session 2012-2013 is 31 March 2013 for courses that start between 1 August 2012 and 31 March 2013.
- Special arrangements will apply for courses that start between 1 April 2013 and 31 July 2013. If this applies to you, we will let your institution know the appropriate closing date. You can also contact us for advice.
- If you are studying at a UK institution outside Scotland, and you are eligible to apply for a loan to pay your tuition fees, you must apply for this before 31 March 2013 if your course starts in the autumn.
- Special arrangements will apply for courses that start between 1 April 2013 and 31 July 2013. If this applies to you, we will let your institution know the appropriate closing date. You can also contact us for advice.
If we receive your application after the final closing dates shown above, you will receive no support, including tuition fees.