“Increasing support for students is essential during this cost of living crisis and will alleviate the financial pressures facing many students,” said Natalie Don MSP.

Financial support available to undergraduate students will rise by £900 from the start of the 2023-24 academic year.

Estranged students in higher education and other undergraduate learners with the lowest household income will see their maximum support package increase from £8,100 to £9,000 per year, as the ceiling for all student loan applications is uplifted by £900.

The annual non-repayable Care Experienced Bursary for eligible higher education students will also increase to £9,000. In further education, a £900 increase will also be applied to the maximum bursary rate available to care experienced students.

These increases will be available to students already at college and university and for new students beginning their studies from Autumn 2023.

“Increasing support for students is essential during this cost of living crisis and will alleviate the financial pressures facing many students”.

Natalie Don MSP

Students in need of immediate financial support for the 2022-23 academic year are still able to apply to their college or university for assistance through their Discretionary Funds.

Natalie Don MSP added:

“I especially welcome the increase in the Care Experienced Bursary which will help more of Scotland’s Care Experienced community to access further and higher education, giving them a chance to fulfil their potential.

“This increase in support - which sees the maximum financial support package for the most vulnerable students as well as those from the lowest household incomes in Higher Education rising to £9,000 - is an important step in delivering the SNP’s commitment to provide a total package of student support equivalent to the living wage.

“The SNP have always fought to improve the lives of students and ensure that access to education is about the ability to learn, not to pay.”

Further Information:

The uplift will be applicable to higher education students receiving SAAS funding, including Scottish domiciled students studying elsewhere in the UK. The rise in financial support for further education students will only apply to those studying in Scotland.

The 2021 Programme for Government committed an ambitious reform to student financial support, including to expand our total student support package to reach the equivalent of the living wage.

The Scottish Funding Council will announce other bursary maintenance rates for further education students in due course.

Further details for support rates available to students in 2023-24 academic year will be available on the SAAS website from March 2023.