Early learning and childcare: induction resource

Funding For Tuition

Where qualifications are undertaken via an apprenticeship, the costs of the tuition are met directly by the government. For all of the other qualifications you will be expected either to apply for funding to cover the costs of tuition or to self-fund. In some cases, your employer may be willing to meet these costs and so this is worth exploring in the first instance.

Where costs are not covered by your employer, you may be eligible for a part time funding grant (PTFG) through the Student Awards Agency Scotland. You will be eligible to apply for this provided that:

• Your course is an SCQF level 7-10 (HNC to degree level including PGDE's)
• You are completing between 30 and 119 SCQF credits (120 SCQF credits for Open University)
• You are studying at a registered Scottish learning provider,
• Your personal income is below £25,000,
• You are not receiving any other type of government funding including ITA (see below) and SAAS full time funding at the same time, and;
• You satisfy the residency conditions.

The PTFG will not affect any course of funding you wish to do at a later date and will not affect any benefits you receive.

You need to have a place on the course first before you can apply for PTFG funding. You have 6 months after your course start date to apply. You can find out the cost of courses and how much funding would be available (if you are eligible ) through SAAS from your local college or training provider. A sector specific leaflet setting out full details is available for download here, which includes other helpful hints and tips.

If the PTFG does not cover the full cost of the course, you may be able to apply for funding for the top up fee from your local authority. Please contact your local Early Years Team for more information.

Another source of funding for part-time courses is the Individual Training Account (ITA). Through this route you may be eligible to receive up to £200 towards a single course or training episode per year. You will be eligible for ITA funding if you are:

• Aged 16 or over;
• Not in full time education or involved in any other Skills Development Scotland (SDS) funded programme;
• Unemployed or furloughed and looking to get back into work or employed and earning less than £22,000 per year;
• Resident in Scotland.

For more information, you can visit the My World of Work which provides a search function for all approved ITA courses, or the SSSC's careers website which has information about funding in its Frequently Asked Questions page. This source of funding also applies to continuous professional learning (CPL).