As you start your journey at University, you may have left your parental home and started to manage your own finances for the first time. Or you may have returned to University after many years of employment. Regardless of your circumstances, finding your way in the world of student funding is not always easy.
More Information on student finance, including funding, budgeting and saving tips” is available from Student Information Scotland.
Student Funding
The amount of funding you are eligible for will depend on several factors, including your residency status.
Home (Scottish) students are awarded funding through the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). You can find more about this here: SAAS - Student Funding Explained
If you are full-time undergraduate student, your fees will usually be covered by SAAS, although you are still required to apply for it. You may also receive a maintenance loan, bursary or other allowances depending on your personal circumstances.
If you are a full-time postgraduate student, you may be eligible for some support for tuition fees and living cost loans.
Funding is managed differently for Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery students, who may be eligible for a bursary whilst they are studying.
Part-time students may be eligible for some funding towards their studies.
Full details of the support available can be found on the SAAS website.
Rest of the UK students may receive funding support from their respective Student Funding Company:
International Students
There are no public funds available to international students as there is the expectation that these students will have secured their funding for tuition fees and living costs prior to study. Edinburgh Napier University can sometimes offer access to a hardship fund, subject to eligibility, to those students who experience a change in circumstances and are the most in need. Further information is available on MyNapier.
Nursing and Midwifery Students
Full-time Nursing and Midwifery students may be eligible to receive a non-income assessed bursary, tuition fees payment, Clinical Placement Expenses reimbursement and various allowances.
All funding is subject to residency and previous study criteria.
Further information is available from SAAS.
Tuition fees
Students liable to pay for their fees must ensure that they meet each payment deadline. Non-payment of fees may lead to penalties imposed including withdrawal from the programme.
If you are facing difficulties paying for your fees, inform the fees department as soon as possible.
Discretionary and hardship funding
International students can apply to the International and EU Crisis Fund. Eligibility criteria applies and students can find more information here.
Scolarship and bursaries
Edinburgh Napier University offers various scholarships and bursaries to its students to help them cover living costs, childcare costs, tuition fees or specific projects.
Students can check their eligibility for any funding by accessing the Find-A-Fund portal.
Benefits
As a general rule, full-time students are not entitled to benefits unless they meet specific criteria such as being a lone parent, having a disability/long term illness or in receipt of Disability Support Allowance. Part-time students are eligible to benefits as the rest of the population.
Budgeting
Most students will have limited resources during their time at University. You may find it useful to plan your spending and make sure you can pay for your food, rent, bills and other essentials
Budgeting tools are easily accessible from the internet either from website or apps. The following tools are free:
More info on Budgeting and Money Management
Debt
If you find yourself in debt, don’t wait to talk to someone about it. Companies would rather have a regular smaller payment than no payment at all and be forced to take legal action against you. It is much easier to get a reasonable and manageable agreement with your creditors at an early stage, rather than when they are threatening court action.
You can contact Citizens Advice Bureau, Step Change or National Debt.
Students who need help understanding their options for funding can book an appointment with ENSA Advice.
ENSA Advice can help you to understand issues with funding, such as SAAS, if you have not been able to resolve things by speaking to the university fees team and SAAS.
If you are in financial hardship or are struggling to pay your essential costs, ENSA can signpost you towards crisis support and help ensure you are receiving the funding you are eligible from SAAS or benefits.