SAAS Student Finance: The Complete Scottish Guide

If your child is heading to a Scottish university, SAAS — the Student Awards Agency for Scotland — is the body you’ll deal with. It pays tuition fees directly, delivers living-cost support, and manages repayment via HMRC once graduates start earning over the Plan 4 threshold. Here’s the honest guide to how it all works.

Who is eligible?

Free tuition is for students who meet all of the following:

• Scotland-domiciled (lived in Scotland for the three years before the course starts, with Scotland as your “home”)
• Studying at a Scottish university (19 universities plus SRUC and RCS)
• On a first undergraduate degree
• Of EU settled or pre-settled status, British/Irish, or otherwise meeting SAAS residency rules

If any of those don’t apply, you may still get some support — but possibly not the free tuition element.

The different kinds of students SAAS recognises

SAAS applies different rules depending on your status:

• Young Student: under 25, not married, no children, financially dependent. Most school-leavers.
• Independent Student: 25+, or supporting yourself for 3 years, or married, or with dependants. Different (generally higher) loan.
• Mature Student: usually covered by the independent rules.
• Care-Experienced Student: anyone who has been in care at any point. Enhanced non-repayable bursary of £9,000/year.

What you’ll actually get

Young students — income-assessed bursary + loan

For 2026/27, young students get a sliding scale of bursary + loan based on household income:

The total living-cost package for young students from the poorest households is £9,400 — this is the Scottish Government’s minimum income guarantee.

Independent students

Independent students can borrow up to £9,400 as a loan. No bursary, but the full package is available regardless of parental income.

Care-experienced students

A non-repayable bursary of £9,000 per year, plus eligibility for the Care Experienced Accommodation Grant which covers summer accommodation.

How and when you get paid

• Tuition fees: SAAS pays the university directly at the start of term. You never handle the money.
• Living costs: paid in 9 monthly instalments from September to May. This is different from England, where payments are termly.
• Payment goes into the student’s own bank account.

Deadlines and application

Applications are made online at saas.gov.uk. You’ll need:

• Your passport or birth certificate (for identity)
• National Insurance number
• Bank details
• Parents’ income details (if you’re a young student)
• Your university course details

Repayment — Plan 4

SAAS loans are repaid on Plan 4 (Scottish loans — separate from Plan 1, 2 and 5 in England/Wales). The key numbers for 2026/27:

• Threshold: £32,745 per year (roughly £2,729/month or £629/week)
• Rate: 9% of income over the threshold
• Write-off: after 30 years
• Interest: pegged to RPI, often lower than English Plan 2/5

If you earn £35,000 per year, you repay 9% of £2,255 = £203/year (about £17/month).

What’s different if you go to an English university

If you’re Scotland-domiciled but study at an English university, SAAS still funds you — but the rules change. SAAS will pay tuition of up to £9,535 as a loan (not a grant), plus living-cost support. You end up with materially more debt than you would staying in Scotland.

Next steps

1. 1

   Use our SAAS Calculator

   Plug in household income and see exactly what you'll get for 2026/27.
2. 2

   Create a SAAS account

   Do this as early as possible — April, ideally. It speeds up future years.
3. 3

   Gather parental income docs

   Last tax year's payslips or tax return is usually the reference.
4. 4

   Apply by 30 June

   Later applications are still accepted but may delay your first payment.