University Education

[RamblingJack]

Hi All,......who is entitled to free university education in Scotland?.........what is the criteria? TIA.

[s.a.m]

Eligibility
To be eligible for funding you must meet our residence conditions
and be on a course we fund.
Generally, to qualify for support you must be:
• ordinarily resident (see note 1 below) in the UK, Channel
Island or Isle of Man for three years immediately before the
first day of the first academic year of the course;
• settled in the UK as described in the Immigration Act 1971;
• ordinarily resident in Scotland on the first day of the first
academic year of the course; and
• studying full time in higher education.
The first day of the first academic year of a course is known as the
‘relevant date’. For those who start a course in the autumn term,
the relevant date is 1 August.
If you don’t meet the general residence conditions above, you may

still be eligible to apply to us for funding in certain circumstances.
The residence eligibility conditions can be complicated. If you are
in any doubt about your residence status, you should contact us
for advice or visit our website for more information.
1 Ordinarily resident has been defined in the courts as ‘habitual and normal residence in
one place’. It basically means that you live in a country year after year by choice
through a set period, apart from temporary or occasional absences such as holidays or
business trips. Living here totally or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education
does not count as being ordinarily resident.

[s.a.m]

EU students
You will be eligible to apply to us to pay your tuition fees if you
meet all of the following conditions:
• You are an EU national, or the family member of an EU
national, on the relevant date.
• You have been ordinarily resident in a member state of the
EU or elsewhere in the EEA and Switzerland for the three years
immediately before the first day of the first academic year of
your course.
• You are taking a full-time course in Scotland and plan to
graduate in Scotland.
If you are applying to us for the first time, you will need to
send us a copy of your passport.
If you are an EU national and you have lived in the UK and Islands
(apart from temporary absences) for the three years before the first
day of the first academic year of your course (1 August for a course
starting in the autumn term), you may be eligible for a student
loan, bursary and any other living-costs grants that may apply.
If you do not meet the conditions above, you may still be eligible
to apply to us for funding in certain circumstances.
The residence eligibility conditions can be complicated. If you are
in any doubt about your residence status, you should contact us
for advice or visit our website for more information.


This is the website for the Scottish Government student funding body:
http://www.saas.gov.uk/index.htm