NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the Scottish Government Health Department introduced a new Dental Bursary Scheme in 2006-2007 for all students studying a Dentistry (BDS) degree at Dundee and Glasgow University from second year onwards.
From 2008-2009 this scheme was widened to all 4 years of the graduate entry Dentistry degree at Aberdeen University.
SAAS are responsible for administering this scheme which will be separate to any funding we currently provide to Scottish domiciled students. This £4,000 per year bursary is open to anyone studying Dentistry in Scotland who can commit to the required retention period with NHS Scotland. For Glasgow and Dundee students it is available from year 2 of their degree and for Aberdeen students it is available for the full four years.
Students who receive this bursary have to sign up for a maximum 5 year retention period (or equivalent part-time period) to work for NHS Scotland in Dentistry after they graduate. The retention period will vary depending on the number of years each student claims the bursary, as shown in the table below.
| No of years bursary claimed | Amount of bursary claimed | Length of retention period |
|---|---|---|
4 |
£16,000 |
5 Years |
3 |
£12,000 |
4 Years |
2 |
£8,000 |
3 Years |
1 |
£4,000 |
2 Years |
The student will have to repay the bursary for the given year if they withdraw from their course or repay some or all of the bursary if they come out of the NHS before the end of their retention period.
Before receiving any bursary, each student will have to complete a 'contract' and an 'application form', which will be available from the university.
Tuition fees for graduates
Students undertaking Dentistry as a second degree at one of the dental schools in Scotland have been eligible to receive payment of their tuition fees from SAAS from academic session 2008-2009. Payment of the tuition fees is not conditional on students taking out the £4000 bursary. The maximum fees we will pay for any student for 2010-2011 is £1,820. However, graduates should be aware that they may be charged a higher rate of fees by their University, than the amount paid by SAAS. Please check this with your university.
Graduates who are applying online to SAAS for their student loan should apply as an undergraduate and not as a postgraduate student.
If you need any further information about the Dental Bursary then please contact us by:
Phone: 0131 244 4519
Email: SAASNHSBursaries@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
For more information, see our Dental bursary, questions and answers.