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advanced courses heading
Advanced courses are those that require a more detailed examination of a subject. These courses are more complex and include Highers and advanced material.

Advanced courses include:
HNC: Higher National Certificate
HND: Higher National Diploma
Diplomas
Advanced Diplomas
Degree
Honours Degree

DO I PAY FEES?
NO. If you are doing a full-time higher education course you do NOT have to pay your fees. What you need to DO is to APPLY to SAAS (Students Award Agency for Scotland - see SAAS on the menu) and they will pay your fees. If you don't apply you will have to pay your fees.

If you are a part-time student in higher education you will have to pay for each module that you do, unless you are in receipt of benefits and you are "NOT required to be available to work" (People with disabilities and lone parents).

CAN I CLAIM BENEFITS?
NO, as a full-time student you can't claim benefits. Unless you are classified as "NOT required to be available to work" (People with disabilities and lone parents), in which you can study full time and still claim benefits including housing, income support and incapacity benefit. In addition you can apply for a hardship fund to cover any extra cost such as books, travel and equipment.

As a Part-time student you can claim benefits

CAN I GET EXTRA MONEY?
YES. The Colleges/Universities have extra funds available in order to help students that have difficulties in meeting living costs. We have called these Student Support Funds.

• In order to apply for the Student Support Funds you must have first applied for a SAAS loan and grants.

• The Student Support Funds, including hardship funds will help with money towards:
- Child care
- Travel
- Accommodation
- Disability
- Books and equipment

• SOME of these funds are particularly aimed at MATURE students. For example if you are a mature student and you have taken out both a SAAS loan and grants and still have problems with your finances, you can apply for MEANS-TESTED help. There is up to £2000 available for:
- Child care costs
- Housing/accommodation
- Excess travel costs
- Exceptional living costs

• You can apply to the hardship loan if you need extra help with living costs and you have already taken up your maximum student loan with SAAS. The College/University may be able to give you an extra loan for £500 per year.

Please see the section "extra support" further down in this text.

For information on how to apply for support funds/hardship funds or a hardship loan click here:
1. Go to the College finance department and ask for a form AS SOON AS you identify your needs.

2. Remember to answer ALL the questions, and attach ALL the papers that the application requests.

3. Bring the application to the finance office. If you have time it is always a good idea to ask the support services to check your application so you are sure that everything is correct.

4. Normally the application takes 3 to 4 weeks. If after 4 weeks you have not received any news call the finance department.

5. It is important that you realise that even though the hardship funds applications are a priority in the College/University because they cover childcare and transport if you take too long in applying the College/ University can't do anything to speed your process.

• FOR INFORMATION REMEMBER as a full time student you DO NOT have to pay council tax, but you do have to claim excemption. THEREFORE you should ask the local council office (Phone 200 2000 and ask for the Council Tax Office) to send you the exemption form and your School Support Assistant will stamp it for you.

STUDENT AWARD AGENCY FOR SCOTLAND (SAAS)
SAAS administers financial support for Scottish students. To get money from SAAS you need to complete their application form. This is available from the finance department of your College or University or you can get it Online: www.student-support-saas.gov.uk

Financial Support Available at SAAS
• SAAS will pay for your course fees if you are a fulltime student
• SAAS will give you a LOAN for your living expenses
• SAAS will also help you with extra support needs. BUT to get this you MUST first apply for a LOAN. See under Extra Support.

Before you apply check if you are eligible:
You must:
1. Have been accepted onto a Full-time HNC, HND, degree or equivalent courses.

2. Have been living for the last three years in the UK

3. Have been resident in Scotland on 30 June for courses starting in August or on 31 December for courses starting on January.

4. Please check the SAAS booklet for details like:
a. EU and overseas students
b. If you have already done a HNC or HND before
c. Age (students Over 54)

To get a SAAS booklet contact:
SAAS (Student Awards Agency for Scotland)
Gyleview House
3 Redheughs Rigg
Edinburgh EH12 9HH
Tel. 0131 476 8212 or 0131 476 822

www.student-support-saas.gov.uk

STUDENTS LOANS
• Student loans are to help you with living costs.
• For a student loan you should apply AS SOON AS you receive your unconditional or conditional offer from your University or College.
• A basic loan rate is between £510 and £3390 a year; remember that the amount of money that you receive is dependent on YOUR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

• REMEMBER
- The loans are means-tested
- SAAS will review your personal circumstances and depending on your/ your parents/partner finances you will have to make a contribution towards your loan.
- You won't have to start to repay your loan until you have completed or left your course and you are earning more than £10000 per year.

For information on applying for a loan click here:
1. Open a Bank Account.

2. You should collect an (SAS3) application form in your College or University.

3. You should fill in the application form (SAS3) with details of any support you wish to claim for tuition fees, loan and supplementary grants.

4. Remember to check the closing date for the application.

5. Complete the whole form and bring all the necessary paperwork, sign the form and get your parent, partner or spouse to sign the application, as appropriate.

a. Information you will need:
i. Personal details
ii. Course details
iii. Bank account details
iv. Details of family circumstances and income
v. Address and phone number

b. Documents required:
i. Birth certificate or Passport
ii. Letter of acceptance onto the course
iii. Depending on personal circumstances:
- Brother/sister birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Confirmation of divorce
- Separation agreement
- Child support agency letter
- Income detail form ET1 or P60
- Benefit agency form ET2 or ET3
- Photocopy of child benefit
- Self- employment form ET4

6. SAAS will send you an acknowledgement that they have received your application. They will give you 2 numbers, one is your SAAS reference number and the second one is your Student Loan Company (SLC) reference number. You should keep these safe as these are your ID numbers within SAAS.

7. If all your information is correct, SAAS should process your application within 28 calendar days and they will send you a Letter of Award to let you know what support you will get. The letter will have the following information:
• the maximum loan you can get and the amount you have applied for
• any Young/Mature Students' Bursary SAAS may give you
• Any supplementary grants you may be entitled to.

8. SAAS will send the information about your loan to the Student Loans Company Ltd. They will:
a. Set up a record in their system
b. Issue a payment schedule setting out the timing and amounts of loan you will get.
• Remember payments are usually in three instalments, depending on when you apply.

9. SAAS will pay your tuition fees, (or their contribution to them), automatically to your College or University.

10. SAAS will pay your Young / Mature Students' Bursary and supplementary grants by sending a cheque to the College or University for you to pick up on the first day of term one.

11. Remember your first loan instalment will be a CHEQUE sent to your College or University for collection on the FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST TERM.

12. Later instalments of the loan will be paid directly into your bank account, so it is important that you give SAAS the correct bank or building society details when you apply.

EXTRA SUPPORT
 • Remember any extra support you get depends on your personal circumstances.

• Mature or Young students: There are some differences in the support for mature and young students, so decide which category you are in before you apply for any support.

• You are a mature student if you:
- Are at least 25 years old
- Or are married
- Or have supported yourself from earnings or benefits for at least 3 years
- You are a young student if you do NOT belong to any of these categories.

• Remember that the rates for the loans and grants change each year.

• If you want more information about finances for courses in health care or courses abroad please check the SAAS booklet or the SAAS website www.student-support-saas.gov.uk

Supplementary Grants:
Additional funding is available in the form of Supplementary Grants.
• Supplementary Grants are NON repayable grants that The Scottish Executive has introduced for:
- Both young and mature students
- Additional grants for lone parents with specific childcare needs
- Students in very specific circumstances.

• Remember that you have to apply for a loan FIRST in order to be able to apply for any of these grants. The grants available include:

• Dependent's grant: If you have any legal responsibility for a spouse, dependent children or younger brother or sister SAAS will award you as follow: 2002-3 rates.
- £465 for a child under 11
- £1780 for a child over 8

• School meals grant: If you have a child aged between 3 and 19 you will receive a meal grant for: 2002-3 rates.
- £244 for primary school
- £275 for secondary school

• Loan parent's grant: you will receive extra support if you are a widow, divorced, separate or a single student with a least one dependent child. If you are awarded this grant you may also be awarded up to £1025 towards the cost of childcare. 2002-3 rates.

• Two homes grant: If you have to maintain a second home in order to allow you to attend your course SAAS will award you £775. 2002-3 rates.

• Disable student's allowance: If you have a disability, SAAS will help you cover any additional expenses arising because you have become a student. This help is NOT means-tested.

• For more information about the supplementary grant please check the SAAS website www.student-support-saas.gov.uk