Paramedic, nursing and midwifery students 2023 to 2024: support

The Bursary

The bursary is for the normal duration of the course that you are undertaking. If you are taking the four-year honours nursing 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 reduction also applies to the associated income-assessed allowances (outlined on pages 10-12). 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 2023/24 the rate is:

• £10,000 for students annually (£7,500 for eligible students in year 4) paid monthly throughout the course.

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 Dependants 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 the Dependants 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.

Further information is available at Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery - SAAS - Funding

An 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 allowance as a result, you will have to repay the amount you received over your entitlement. The allowance will be paid with your bursary.

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

Childcare costs are 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.

Students will be expected to make use of the Scottish Government's free childcare support where it is applicable. You can get up to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare a year (around 30 hours a week in term time) if your child is 3 or 4 years old. Some 2 year old children are also eligible.

Visit your local council's website to find out what is available in your area.

Disabled Student's Allowance

Disabled Student's 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).

Maternity Allowance

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 their expected due date. 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.

Discretionary fund

The Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Discretionary Fund is open to all UK domiciled students studying on pre-registration paramedic science, nursing and midwifery programmes at Scottish universities. This fund supports students who are in financial difficulties to either access or continue in Higher Education. Payments from the fund will be made in addition to any other form of student support.

You should contact the finance or student services department of your university for further information.