Residency requirements

Most Scottish students who live in Scotland and want to study a further education (FE) or higher education (HE) course at a Scottish college are likely to be eligible for bursary support, subject to meeting other criteria such as rules regarding previous study. 

To be treated as a Scottish home student you must meet all of the following three conditions:  

  1. You normally live in Scotland on the first day of the first academic year of the course (usually 1st August); and  

  2. You've been living in the UK for 3 years before starting your course; and  

  3. You're a UK national or have 'settled status' (no restrictions on how long you can stay).  

 

If you are from the rest of the UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the islands), unless you can show that you meet all of the above residence conditions and are not here for the purposes of education, you should consult the appropriate funding body in the relevant part of the UK and islands to see if any student support is available for you to study in Scotland.  

If you don't meet all of the three conditions, you may still be eligible for some elements of support if you meet the requirements of one of the other UK residency categories listed, namely:  

  • You're an EU national, or family member of an EU national with settled/pre-settled status 

  • You're a refugee 

  • You're under humanitarian protection (as a result of a failed application for asylum)  

  • You're a migrant worker  

  • You're a child of a Swiss national; or  

  • You're a child of a Turkish worker  

  • You're a Syrian Refugee (VPRS).  

You also must normally be living in Scotland on the first day of the first academic year of the course.  

If you do not meet the residency criteria you will be liable to pay the college tuition fee and you are advised to contact student services to find out what level of fee will apply.