Support for nursing and midwifery students in Scotland 2017-2018

The Bursary

The bursary is for the normal duration of the course that you are undertaking. If you are taking the four-year honours degree course and you are eligible for a bursary, you will receive the full bursary rate for years 1-3 and a 75% bursary for year 4. This is because year 4 does not cover the full 52 weeks.

The bursary covers the whole year and is a non-income-assessed personal allowance.

For 2017/18, the rate is:

• £6,578 for students at the start of the course.

Although the bursary rate for 2017/18 has not changed, there has been additional funding allocated to the Dependent's Allowance, Single Parent Allowance and Childcare Allowance.

Students may also be eligible for one or more of the following allowances:

• £60 Initial Expenses Allowance. This will be included in the first instalment of the bursary.

An income-assessed Dependent's Allowance, where appropriate:

The maximum amounts you can receive through this allowance are:

• £3,640 for a spouse or cohabitating partner or, if you are single, one adult you have a legal responsibility for with little or no income from any sources.
• £3,640 for the first child where there is no dependant husband or wife, or other dependant adult.
• £557 for each other dependant child.

You may claim this allowance for your spouse or cohabiting partner, dependent children and any younger brothers or sisters for whom you have a legal responsibility. If any of these dependants have income of their own, the total amount will be taken into account, but £1,160 will be allowed against the income your dependants have.

For example, if you are married with 2 children and your spouse has income, 3 x £1,160 = £3,480 will be deducted from your spouse's income when calculating the Dependant's Allowance you should receive. What is left of your spouse's income following the deduction of £3,480 will reduce the amount payable pound for pound.

Dependant's Allowance is paid provisionally and SAAS will reassess your allowance at the end of your year of study when they receive confirmation of the actual income that your dependants received. If SAAS reduce the Dependant's Allowance as a result, you will have to repay the amount you received over your entitlement. The Dependant's Allowance will be paid with your bursary.

• £2,303 Single Parent Allowance.
• Up to £2,466 for registered childcare costs.

This grant is available to students who have children and have expenses for registered childcare. You can receive up to £2,466 a year, depending on the cost of childcare. 'Registered' childcare includes childminders, after-school clubs, providers of day‑care and those who are registered with the Care Inspectorate. If you are getting your full childcare costs paid from other sources (for example, your institution) you should not apply for this grant. You should apply to SAAS first for help with your childcare costs before you ask for help from any other source. When you fill in your application form you should tell SAAS if you think you may be entitled to this support. They will ask you for details about your childcare provider and confirmation of the amounts you will pay.

• Disabled Students Allowance

The Disabled Students Allowance ( DSA) is a non-income-assessed allowance to cover extra costs or expenses you might have while studying, which arise because of your disability. You can apply to SAAS for this allowance which is made up of three parts:

• Up to £1,725 a year for any small items of equipment or consumables.
• Up to £20,520 a year for non-medical personal help.
• Up to £5,160 for major items of specialist equipment (this is a total amount for the course, not for each year of the course).

Discretionary Fund

In October 2016 the Nursing and Midwifery Discretionary Fund was launched. This enables nursing and midwifery students who are in financial difficulties to either access or continue in Higher Education. The fund will be paid in addition to any other form of student support.

In order to apply you should contact the finance department of your University, who, on receiving your completed application will assess it. They may ask for further information, however, this can be discussed in more detal with your University's finance department.

• Maternity

If a student wishes to withdraw from their course temporarily because of pregnancy and/or childbirth, the student will continue to receive their bursary support during the absence. In order to do so, the student must discuss their circumstances with the course leader at the university and agree start and end dates for the period of absence. The earliest date for maternity leave to begin would normally be 11 weeks before the expected date of confinement. It is for students and universities to agree when the student will return,

but this continued support will only be available for a maximum of 45 weeks. Universities will advise SAAS of the agreed leave, start and return dates. When a student begins their period of approved absence, they will then continue to receive the support that they would have received if they had continued on the course. However, childcare allowance will normally cease once the authorised absence formally starts, unless the student is contractually committed beyond that date.