Student funding

The EMA is now available to full and part-time students aged under 18 at the start date of the course are eligible to apply. The award is dependent on household income and students must appropriately engage with their studies and attend all classes where possible.

The EMA is a means-tested weekly allowance for students and payments are made every fortnight during term-time.

See the table below to see if you are eligible:

* A dependent child is one who is 16 or under or is between 16 and 25 years old and is in full-time further or higher education.

** You are still required to complete the online application, as you may still be eligible for travel and/or course expenses, as this is not dependent upon household income. You are only required to provide us with proof of identification, e.g. birth certificate or passport.

Part-time EMA is not eligible for Travel or Study Expense items.

After accepting a place on your course, you will be sent a link to set up an account to apply for funding. You can also click on the 'My Funding' section of MyNCL Student Portal to access your account.

If you have a parent or guardian who is self-employed, please complete the Self-Employed Income Certificate form.

Travel expenses will be provided if you:

• Live more than two miles from the campus you will be attending
• Are 22 or over and have a low household income

Please note that students under the age of 22 qualify for free bus travel via the Scottish Government. You can apply for your free bus travel by visiting www.transport.gov.scot

Further Education (FE) students aged 22 and over can be assessed for travel expenses as part of their online bursary application and you will be asked for more information and evidence. Students under the age of 22 can apply for a Young Scot travel card.

HE students who have applied for a Student Loan via SAAS have an element of travel included in the loan to cover travel costs.

If you wish to be considered for taxi transport support, it is important that your all application is submitted as early as possible before the start of the academic year.

To apply, please complete our taxi application form.

All students with household income below £26,000. If you are on income based benefits, you will need to check with the DWP (Department Work and Pensions) if any award would impact on your benefit claim.

Discretionary Funds provide non-repayable assistance for students in financial difficulties in order for them to access and/or continue in education.

• This is paid in addition to any other forms of student support.
• Priority will be given to full-time students with childcare and/or housing costs, however all students who can provide evidence of hardship will be considered.
• Applications for financial assistance from the Discretionary Fund will be accepted from students who are experiencing financial hardship, as a result of attending college, or whose financial circumstances prevent them from studying.
• If you have a household income of over £26,000 you will not be eligible to apply for this fund.

After accepting a place on your course, you will be sent a link to set up an account to apply for funding.

FE students will need to submit a Bursary application before they can make an application to the Discretionary Fund.

HE students should first apply to SAAS for their fees, Bursary and Student Loan – and then complete a Discretionary Fund application. HE students will need to provide evidence that they have applied for the maximum Bursary/Student Loan available.

All students can apply, with the exception of Day Release and Evening students.

If you face financial hardship please speak to your Student Adviser who will provide you with the best options. Please note that the Welfare Fund cannot be used to subsidise or support college funding. Please note that the Emergency Fund is a maximum of £30 and can be used for expenses such as travel etc.

Download a copy of our Emergency Fund Policy.

Contact your campus Student Advisers by emailing studentadviser@nclan.ac.uk

When you get an offer of a place on a course, the College will automatically send an activation email to the email address provided on your course application form. Once you have completed the form and this is submitted, we will make an assessment for the type of funding you are eligible for.

You only need to fill out one form. We will assess which type of funding you are eligible for, including travel expenses and course materials, based on your age and personal circumstances. If we require more documents to finalise your award we will send an e-mail or letter requesting the documents.

All funding applications are mobile friendly so don’t worry if you do not have a computer you can use a tablet or your mobile phone. The Student Funding team are always on hand to help. You can email student.funding@nclan.ac.uk  to arrange an appointment to discuss your application. 

It is really important to submit your application early to ensure you have your assessment before you start college.

Full time FE care-experienced students can apply through the College for the FE Care-Experienced bursary. The Care-Experienced bursary is £225 per week and we will pay you travel over and above this if you live more than two miles from your campus. 

Any student who has been in care at some point in their lives can apply for this bursary. You will have to provide us with a letter from your Social Worker to confirm you have experienced care. We have staff who will help you access all the support available so please don’t worry.

Care-experienced students studying above SCQF level 6 must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for their funding. You can do this by visiting www.saas.gov.uk

If you're a new or continuing care-experienced student you can apply for a funding package of up to £11,400 including: 

• tuition fees
• non-income assessed Care Experienced Students Bursary (CEBS) of £9,000
• non-income assessed student loan of £2,400

From the 2024-25 academic year, the funding you can apply for includes a £2,400 Special Support Loan.

You may also be able to get help with your accommodation costs during the summer holidays with a Summer Accommodation Grant.

Help is available with your accommodation costs over the summer holidays which fall between each year of your course. The maximum payment for this is £105 per week. SAAS will pay this directly to the person that is providing you with accommodation.

If you submit your application by 30th June with no errors and with all supporting documents, SAAS have guaranteed an assessment before your course starts. It is really important to submit your form as early as possible.

Childcare funds are intended to provide non-repayable assistance for students with children in order for them to access and/or continue in education and are paid in addition to any other forms of student support. Childcare funds are supplementary to core sources of student funding such as bursaries and student loans. 

Childcare awards will be not be made to any learner who has a spouse or partner who is at home during College hours and is able and available to look after the child/children. 

All childcare providers must be registered with the Care Inspectorate.

The assessment process is based on need, and all funding is means tested against all household income. If you have a household income above £46,500 you will not be eligible to apply for this fund. This is in line with HMRC Child Tax Credit Assessment - https://www.gov.uk/benefits-credits/tax-credits. 

The maximum financial support offered to students should not exceed college time and placement time (as defined in the Course Design Document) plus timetabled study time and travel time. In total, this must not exceed 40 hours per week nor 8 hours per day.

The funding award allocated to each child is limited to the college academic calendar (37 week period) and the total award per student will not exceed £16,000.

Discretionary funds are intended to provide non-repayable assistance for students in financial difficulties in order for them to access and/or continue in education and are paid in addition to any other forms of student support. Discretionary funds are supplementary to core sources of student funding such as bursaries and student loans. 

Any student who is living in their own/shared accommodation may be entitled to assistance from discretionary funds to assist with their rent. To be eligible you must be able to provide your own tenancy and evidence will be requested to show that you are not in receipt of housing benefits. Please check your eligibility with Housing Benefit, as many young students can study and claim full housing benefit.

A small welfare fund is available to provide short-term loans to students who experienced unavoidable financial emergencies (e.g. due to a delay in receiving funding).  If you face financial hardship please seek advice from the Student Advisers who are available in all campuses. Please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible and highlight that you are a care-experienced student.

EU, EEA or Swiss Applicants

• New EU, EEA, or Swiss students arriving in the UK after 1 January 2021 need to apply for a student visa before travelling to the UK.

International Applicants

• All non-UK nationals, residing outside the UK, need to apply for a student visa before travelling to the UK.
• The UK student visa is for students undertaking studies that last more than six months at a UK approved education institute. You can check if you need a visa to come to Scotland on the UK Government web site
• The latest information may be found on the Government's website: UK points-based immigration system: EU student information.

Important note: NCL does not hold a licence to sponsor applicants who reside outside the UK and need a student visa to study in the UK

Standard Visitor Visa (up to six months)

• If your course is less than 6 months long, you can study at NCL on a standard visitor visa. 
• Please contact International@nclan.ac.uk for further information on studying short-term courses at NCL.

Other Immigration Categories

• Applicants residing in the UK on other immigration categories should note that some visas do not permit either paid or voluntary work, including the work placement element of college courses.
• Please contact International@nclan.ac.uk for further information 

EU citizens and their family members currently living in the UK.

If you are already studying in the UK then you (and your family) should have already applied to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK. If you have not already done so, you can apply now if you meet the criteria. The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.

The EU Settlement Scheme will allow EU nationals to continue living in the UK with the same access to work, study, benefits and public services as enjoyed currently.

Find out more about the EU Settlement Scheme and on the UK Council for International Student Affiars (UKCISA) - International student advice and guidance.

2022/2023 Academic Year

EU nationals who are 'settled' or 'pre-settled' in the UK will remain eligible to apply for home tuition fees in 2021/2022, providing they meet the residency conditions.

If you don’t have ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status, you will be charged the full international fee for all courses, including those delivered by open and flexible learning.