Education - support for part-time study and disabled students: consultation - June 2025

The Current System of Support

Part-time Higher Education - Undergraduate

Support for part-time students is limited to tuition fee support, available through the Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG). This applies whether part-time students are undertaking campus based or distance-learning based courses. Many part-time programmes have a blended programme of learning, which involves some campus-based learning and distance-learning.

Full-time distance-learning students are also supported through the PTFG. The PTFG offers a tuition fee contribution of up to £1,820 for people who have a personal income of £25,000 a year or less. The amount of grant available is linked to the number of credits studied and is calculated pro-rata based on the maximum fee level set for full-time courses.

The maximum PTFG awards are:

• £1,805 for publicly funded degree level courses
• £1,820 for 120 credit degree level courses (full-time distance learning)
• £1,274 for publicly funded Higher National Awards (HNC, HND)
• £1,195 for all courses at private training providers

To receive funding through the PTFG, students must study an eligible higher education course or undertake Professional Development with an eligible training provider in Scotland at levels 7-10 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) (this link will direct to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework).

Eligible qualifications include:

• A standard degree
• HNC
• HND
• Professional Graduate Diploma in Education
• Professional Development Awards
• SVQ3
• SVQ4

Living cost support, including bursaries and loans, is not available to individuals studying part-time. Historically, this has centred on the understanding that those undertaking part-time study are generally entitled to apply for support from the benefits system or continue receiving benefits while they are studying, whereas most full-time students are not. Part-time/distance learning study can also give some students additional capacity to enter some form of paid employment to supplement their living costs.

Colleges and universities can consider support for part-time students from the Discretionary Funds. Each institution will assess the need for support to study, travel and childcare costs based on a student’s individual circumstances.

The Scottish Government does not regulate the tuition fees Scottish institutions charge for part-time courses. As a result, there may be circumstances where the support provided via the PTFG does not cover the full amount of tuition fees being charged.

Postgraduate

Funding for part-time postgraduate courses is limited to those that can be completed at no less than 50% of the pace of the equivalent full-time course. If there is no equivalent full-time course, the part-time postgraduate course must be completed in no more than 3 years.

Eligible students can receive a tuition fee loan of up to £7,000 for part-time courses to help contribute towards their fees. The tuition fee loan is split across each year of study.

The Scottish Government does not regulate the tuition fees for postgraduate study. As a result, there may be circumstances where the amount of tuition fees an institution charges exceeds the maximum value of the tuition fee loan available to the student.

Full-time Higher Education Distance-learning

Some universities run full-time higher education courses that do not require any campus-based attendance.

Eligible students can apply for tuition fee support via the PTFG. The PTFG offers a tuition fee contribution of up to £1,820 for individuals who have a personal income of £25,000 a year or less.

Students who are studying a full-time distance learning course because of a disability may be eligible for the living-cost support package that is available to full-time students undertaking campus-based qualifications. Students must supply relevant supporting evidence.

Further Education

Further Education (FE) student support is available to students studying at college who are undertaking an eligible course of education at SCQF level 1 to 6.

To be eligible, the student must:

• be a resident in Scotland
• be beyond their statutory school leaving date and have left school
• not or will not be eligible to receive alternative funds
• be under the age of 18 or eligible for a fee waiver

FE students studying part-time are not able to access the FE Bursary or Care Experienced Bursary, but they can access the following:

• travel expenses
• study expenses
• Dependants’ Allowance
• childcare funds
• discretionary funds
• Education Maintenance Allowance

Disabled Student Support

Higher Education students who have additional study costs because of their disabilities and/or additional learning needs can also access support through the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

DSA is a bespoke, non-income assessed fund administered directly to eligible students by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). The amount a student is awarded is based on their individual needs.

Disabled students studying full-time campus-based courses can access the full student support package. Support is also available through DSA for the following courses:

• part-time undergraduate courses at HNC level or above, providing they are undertaking at least 50% of a full-time course
• part-time postgraduate courses, including PhD’s, providing they are undertaking at least 50% of a full-time course
• distance learning courses, providing they are undertaking at least 50% of a full-time course
• Open University courses, if the student studies at least 60 credits in a year

DSA is made up of 3 elements:

• Equipment, Software and Accessories Allowance – up to £5,160 per course to pay for items, such as laptops supporting specialist software and the relevant training
• Non-medical Personal Help (NMPH) Allowance – up to £20,520 per year to pay for support such as notetakers, mental health support and BSL interpreters
• Consumable Items Allowance – up to £1,725 per year to pay for costs such as printing, photocopying and paper

Students who cannot use public transport and are paying extra travel costs because of their disability can also apply for travel expenses.

The Scottish Government understands that each student will have unique circumstances and that sometimes a student’s needs will exceed the support provided through the relevant DSA element. Since 2020, students can seek extra support for Non-Medical Personal Help (NMPH) should their disability needs go over the upper limit.

Applying for DSA

To apply for DSA, students must submit:

• a DSA application form endorsed by a Disability Advisor at a college or university
• diagnostic evidence to confirm the circumstances
• a Needs Assessment Report (for first time applicants)

Needs assessments are confidential and conducted in a supportive environment by assessors with specialist experience. Many colleges and universities have trained staff who can carry out assessments for their students. During their appointment, students can talk about their experiences and strategies they have developed to support their disability. The assessor will fully consider the support an individual requires and make suitable recommendations.

Other Support

As part of the core funding given to universities from the Scottish Funding Council, a Disabled Students Premium (DSP) is provided to recognise the extra costs associated with accommodating disabled students. The DSP is not intended to cover all the costs of supporting disabled students as universities are also expected to use their core funding towards their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.

FE students studying with a disability, who, because of their disability, have additional personal study and travel expenses due to attending college, can access additional support through the Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance (ASNLA). The individual colleges decide the amount offered. This support is available to full-time and part-time students and is non-means tested.