Full-time funding for non-advanced level courses
For full-time non-advanced level courses (any course that isn’t a HNC or HND) apply directly through NESCol for course funding and any financial assistance.
What you can apply for
Help with funding
Tuition Fees
During your studies, you will need to pay for the cost of tuition, which most students will receive help towards.
If you are an applicant for a full-time non-advanced level course it’s important that you have funding in place to cover your course tuition fees.
Tuition fees :
- Are not based on household income.
- Are not affected by any previous study.
- Will be charged to you if you do not meet the residence or other requirements.
Cost of living and travel
You may be eligible for funding to help towards the cost of living while you study, such as:
- Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
- Bursary
- Maintenance
- Travel
- Materials
- Childcare
The type of course you study, as well as your personal circumstances, decide where you can get help and how much that might be.
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) gives financial support to eligible 16 to 19 year olds on full and part-time, non-advanced courses (any course that isn’t a HNC or HND).
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA):
- Weekly payment of £30.
- Based on age, residency and household income.
- To support a student with living costs during their time at College.
- Paid every two weeks in arrears into your bank account, providing that you meet the terms and conditions of a Learning Agreement to be signed at the start of your course.
- Payments are not made during College holidays including the October break, Christmas and Easter.
- Funds available are limited, so you may not automatically qualify for a bursary and some applications may be unsuccessful.
Bursaries give financial support to those eligible on full-time, non-advanced courses (any course that isn’t a HNC or HND) who are aged 18 and over when the course starts, subject to the availability of funds. This applies to those who are resident in Scotland, with the exception of Orkney and Shetland*.
Bursaries:
- Depend on many factors including financial situation of you/your household — parent(s), spouse or partner.
- Normally paid in 4 weekly instalments directly into your bank account.
- First instalment is paid as soon as possible following enrolment on a course.
- Payments can be affected by attendance, engagement and progression on a course.
- Funds available are limited, so you may not automatically qualify for a bursary and some applications may be unsuccessful.
Maintenance
This funding is based on household income to support a student with living costs during their time at College. The income of the student and the household, whether that be parent(s) or spouse/partner, will be considered.
If you are entitled to an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) then this type of funding will not apply, unless it is accepted by the College that you must live away from your parental home during your study with us.
Travel
If you will be aged under 18 at the start of your course, it is likely that you will be eligible for this award, regardless of household income, if your home is more than 2 miles away from College.
Free bus travel is now available for under 22’s, students will no longer receive the travel element of a bursary award if they qualify for this scheme.
Materials
If you will be aged under 18 at the start of your course, it is likely that you will be eligible for this award, regardless of household income.
The College has funds available to help full-time students with childcare costs and can help with assistance towards the cost of living through these funds.
The College has funds that you may be able to access to help towards your registered childcare costs whilst studying at NESCol.
Funding applications
How to apply
Apply directly to NESCol for funding if you have received a conditional or a full offer of a place on a non-advanced course (any course that is not an HNC or HND). You can only apply when you have been offered a place on a course.
Applicants who have a full or conditional offer of a place on a non-advanced course will be sent an email from noreply@nescol.ac.uk in June to apply for funding. We will send this email to the address you used on your course application form. Updates will be posted on our social media channels and My NESCol when these emails have been sent. If you cannot see an email from noreply@nescol.ac.uk, check your junk/spam folder.
We have produced a funding application guide to help you through the process.
Bursary
*Students from Orkney and Shetland should apply directly to their Island’s Council for Bursary support.
Students from England and Wales should apply to their own Local Education Authority for Bursary support and those from Northern Ireland should apply to their local Education and Libraries Board.
When to apply
Applicants who have a full or conditional offer of a place on a non-advanced course will be sent an email from noreply@nescol.ac.uk around the beginning of June to apply for funding.
Apply for funding as soon as possible so that we can make sure it’s in place when you start your course. Ensure your application is submitted within 6 weeks of your course start date as funding cannot be backdated after the 6 weeks has passed.
Information required on your application
Depending on what you’re applying for, you may need to provide certain information during the application process.
You will need:
- Student reference number — this will be on your College offer letter.
- Identification such as your birth certificate, passport or driving licence or Young Scot card.
- The account number and sort code of your bank (to make payments to you).
- Previous education since leaving school — details of all full-time courses you have undertaken.
- Employment record over last six years — including periods of unemployment.
- Details of household income.
- Details of current benefit awards you receive.
Documents to support your funding application
Make sure any documents you are clear. If we ask you to resend documents this will delay your application.
The types of documents required will depend on individual circumstances. They may include:
- P60
- Tax Credits
- Universal Credits
- Self-employed Tax Calculation
- Council Tax Bill
You may be asked to provide these when you complete the online form, but if you don’t have them to hand, you can upload them after submitting the application.
If you would like more clarification on the documents you might be asked for based on your own circumstances, email studentfunding@nescol.ac.uk and we can discuss this with you.
Make sure you upload exactly what you are asked for, otherwise this may result in a delay to your funding being assessed and any payments you may be eligible for.
Eligibility
If you have undertaken any full-time college or university courses in the past, then this may affect your eligibility for funding. However, the rules vary and you may be eligible if you received funding when you were under 18 or received course fees only awards.
If you are in any doubt, please contact the team at studentfunding@nescol.ac.uk.
If you are under 25, your award will have to be assessed based on your parent(s)/guardian(s) income, unless you can prove that you are a self-supporting student. You may qualify to be assessed as self-supporting student if you have care of a child, have no living parents, are a care leaver, had your own tenancy for three years, received housing benefit for three years or have been working and/or receiving benefits for a three year period since leaving school.
If you are under 25 and live with a partner, you can be assessed as an independent student. You will have to provide a recent official document in joint names, as proof that you are in an established relationship. This could be a council tax bill, joint lease agreement or utility bill in joint names.
You would only be eligible for a travel and/or materials award if your receive benefits whilst at college. Students receiving Universal Credit (UC) however, may be eligible for a Universal Credit maintenance allowance, if they continue to receive UC while attending college.
You should always check with the relevant benefits agency to make sure that any funding received from us doesn’t affect your benefits.
If you have pre-settled or settled status, then it is unlikely you will need to pay course tuition fees. However if you were not living in Scotland before 31 December 2020 but have since applied, it would depend on the reason and outcome of your application. This is quite complex and you should contact studentadvice@nescol.ac.uk for advice relevant to your circumstances.
Deadline for applications
Apply for funding as soon as possible so that we can make sure it’s in place when you start your course. Ensure your application is submitted within 6 weeks of your course start date as funding cannot be backdated after the 6 weeks have passed.
Bursary and EMA applications submitted after 6 weeks of your course start date will only be assessed from the date of submission, and will not be backdated to the start of the course.
Missed the deadline?
If your funding isn’t in place for the start of your course, you can contact Student Advice Centre and ask about an emergency payment to help while your bursary is being assessed. If you are awarded a bursary, we will deduct the emergency payment from your award. If you are not eligible for a bursary, then you will need to repay the emergency payment back.
When funds will be paid
Application processing times vary as each application is different and individual circumstances are considered. If you submit all the correct evidence, your bursary should be in place within 6 weeks of submitting your application.
- Normally paid in 4 weekly instalments directly into your bank account.
- First instalment is paid as soon as possible following enrolment on a course.
- Payments can be affected by attendance, engagement and progression on a course.
Any award made can be changed any time and is subject to the availability of funds.
Help with funding
Student Advice Centre
At NESCol we appreciate that every student’s circumstances are different. We offer impartial and confidential information and advice on a range of funding related topics from applications to eligibility queries.
Contact the Student Advice Centre at studentfunding@nescol.ac.uk and the team will be in touch.
Funding Calculator
The Scottish Government have created a new website Student Information Scotland. Here you will find useful further and higher education funding information. It also features a Funding Calculator which allows you to work out what funding you may be eligible to receive.