It is important to know about the different types of funding support available to you whilst studying at college.

You should apply for the relevant funding as soon as you can to ensure this is in place for the start of your course.

Please note - School pupils undertaking a school-college partnership course do not need to apply for funding. 

Tuition Fees

The following information is for Full Time students eligible for government funding.  If you are on part-time, evening or other non-bursary funded courses or a student who does not qualify for government funding please email student.records@forthvalley.ac.uk for further information and support with your tuition fees.

Full-time students can receive funding if their course progresses to or results in a qualification.

Part-time students can sometimes be eligible for travel and/or childcare funding.  Contact Student Funding at funding@forthvalley.ac.uk for further information.

In order to be eligible to receive funding, a student must meet the age, residency and previous study criteria.

Age

In order to be eligible to receive Student Funding, students must be beyond the statutory school leaving age. If you are under 16 when you start college, you may not be eligible to receive funding from the start of your course. Contact Student Funding for further information.

Residency

In order to receive Student Funding, you must meet all three of the following conditions:

• Be a UK National or have ‘settled status’, with no restrictions on how long you can stay
• Normally live in Scotland on the course start date
• Have been living in the UK for 3 years before the course start date

If you do not meet all of the above conditions, depending on your circumstances, you may still qualify. Please contact Student Funding for further guidance.

If you are a UK citizen who is returning to live or study, you may be eligible to receive funding. You should contact Student Funding if you:

• Are returning to the UK to live or study from the EU, EEA or Switzerland
• Were born in and have spent the greater part of your life in the UK
• Are returning from temporary employment or study outside the UK
• Are an immediate relation of a UK citizen (such as child, spouse or civil partner)

Previous Study

You will be eligible to receive Further Education funding if you:

• Have not previously received bursary or SAAS support, or equivalent towards your maintenance, study or travel costs. There are a number of exemptions to this rule, so ensure you provide all prior study information on your application so Student Funding can assess you correctly.
• Do not already hold an advanced level qualification (unless you are adding to or improving it). I.e. if you already hold a degree, HN or equivalent. There are exemptions to this so contact Student Funding if you already hold a qualification and are unsure.

For Higher Education SAAS funding eligibility requirements, please see the SAAS website.

Eligible students should apply for a Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG) via the new SAAS online application service.  Information for part-time students on the SAAS website has been updated to help facilitate the new online process and includes answers to some frequently asked questions.

How to apply for your part-time fee grant:

• Contact the relevant teaching department to discuss course units to be undertaken.
• Complete a college enrolment form with the unit codes provided by the teaching department - these unit codes should be included on the form.
• Email the College enrolment form to the PTFG mailbox (PTFG@forthvalley.ac.uk) and request the tuition fee amount and total number of SCQF points allocated to course units.
• Once Student Records reply with the above information for fees and credit point value, you can then complete your online SAAS application for the PTFG.
• Set up an online SAAS account (SAAS Account) and complete the online application for funding.
• SAAS will then be in contact with regards to your application and any income evidence required.
• You will still have a portion of tuition fees to pay to the College, and an initial payment of 30% must be made prior to being fully enrolled on the course.

All students, including continuing students, applying for Part-time Fee Grant Funding must now apply using the above process.

While you are studying, you must be;

Failure to comply with the above can result in disciplinary action such as funding payments being withheld, funding being reclaimed or stopped altogether.

In addition to funding, you can also get help with your finances while at college.

Student Assistance Fund

While you are a student, if you find yourself in financial hardship you can apply for a payment from the Student Assistance Fund. This can be due to unexpected costs or bills. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis for reasons such as:

• Additional travel expenses
• Books and equipment
• Accommodation
• Emergency situations
• Disability related costs
• Holiday childcare costs
• Unexpected living costs

Financial Advice

In addition to receiving money from the college while studying, you can access other resources.

Student Information Scotland – This website can be used to find out about your financial options while studying and information about other government resources you can access. The site also includes budget and funding calculators.

Money Map – This website from Citizen’s Advice can guide you on how to maximise your money, reduce your bills and meet the cost of living.

If you need specific advice or support, you can contact the Student Funding Team directly.