I am going abroad as part of my course in the UK, what help can I get?
We do not normally fund students who are taking their entire course at an institution outwith the UK or Ireland. However, if you are taking a course in the UK and have to study on a compulsory basis at an educational institution outside the UK, or you choose to take a voluntary period of study abroad as part of an ERASMUS exchange, extra funding is available.
Compulsory study is a period of time at an institution outside the UK which is an essential part of your course, and without completing this period of study you will not be able to graduate.You are entitled to no more than one academic year's funding for study abroad.
Tuition fees
If your course involves a compulsory year of study abroad that is part of an exchange or you choose to study a year abroad as part of an exchange on a voluntary basis, we will pay the standard rate of fee for the level of course you are doing.
If you choose to study abroad and it is not part of an exchange we will pay half the standard rate of tuition fee for the level of course that you are doing.
If you study abroad for part of the year and are studying at your home institution for the rest of the year, the highest that either we or you should pay (whichever applies) is the standard rate for the level of course you are doing.
Living cost support
If your period of study abroad is compulsory or you choose to take a voluntary period of study abroad as part of your course that is part of an ERASMUS exchange, you can apply for the same level of living cost support you would get if you were studying in the UK. You can apply for more of a loan payable at the rate of loan appropriate to the country you have to study in. Depending on your household income you may also be eligible to claim the cost of your journey abroad and medical insurance. See the list of countries in the table below.
If you choose to take a voluntary period of study abroad as part of your course that is not part of an ERASMUS exchange, and it does not extend the minimum period needed to complete the course in the UK, you can apply for the same level of living cost support you would get if you were studying in the UK. You can receive the loan available for students living outside their parents' home. We will not pay the cost of your journey abroad or medical insurance.
Category of country
| Higher-cost countries | Japan and Switzerland |
|---|---|
| High-cost countries | Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (not including the Departements-d'outres of French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Reunion and Martinique), Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the USA and Uzbekistan. |
We pay the rate of loan for all other countries at the same rate as for those students living away from their parents' home during term-time.
The maximum amounts we pay for courses that last for 30 weeks are as follows.
- £7,162 for higher-cost countries.
- £6,097 for high-cost countries.
- £5,067 for all other countries.
We make extra loan payments for each week you have to study on the course over 30 weeks and three days. Any extra payments are income-assessed. The amounts that we pay are as follows.
- £150 for higher-cost countries.
- £115 for high-cost countries.
- £83 for all other countries.
The table below shows the loan amounts for students studying abroad who entered higher education at a Scottish institution in session 2001-2002 or later and students who entered higher education at a UK institution outside Scotland in 2006-2007 or later.
|
Higher-cost countries |
High-cost countries |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum loan |
Income-assessed part £ |
Non income-assessed part £ |
Maximum loan £ |
Income-assessed part £ |
Non income-assessed part £ |
|
Full year |
7,162 |
5,947 |
1,215 |
6,097 |
5,002 |
1,095 |
The table below shows the loan amounts for students studying abroad who entered higher education at a UK institution outside Scotland in 2002/2003 to 2005/2006.
|
Higher-cost countries |
High-cost countries |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum loan |
Income-assessed part |
Non income-assessed part |
Maximum loan |
Income-assessed part |
Non income-assessed part |
|
Full year |
7,162 |
4,652 |
2,510 |
6,097 |
3,717 |
2,380 |
Find out what other funding is available to you in our student support section.
What support is available to me if I want to do my whole degree at an institution outwith the UK?
If you are undertaking your entire undergraduate degree programme at an institution outwith the UK or Ireland you will not be eligible for support from SAAS.
The following organisations may be able to help you obtain other sources of funding. You should also speak to the finance officer in the institution that you wish to study at to find out what support they can offer.
The British Council Information Centre may be able to offer you advice about possible sources of funding.
The British Council Information Centre
Bridgewater House
58 Whitworth Street
Manchester
M1 6BB
Phone 0161 957 7755
Careers Scotland has detailed information on their website about studying within the European Union (EU).
There is also a UNESCO publication "Study Abroad", which contains information on international scholarships for study outside the UK. You can find further details on the UNESCO website.
Finally for information about educational trusts and endowments that you might be able to apply for, visit the other sources of funding section of our website.