Alternative funding

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Charities, trust funds, bursaries, and scholarships are alternative sources of funding which might be available to you.

Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing

Scottish Social Services Council-funding for MSc Social Work

Postgraduate Bursaries are available for nominated and eligible students studying the Full-time MSc Social Work at the following Universities: The University of Dundee, The University of Edinburgh, Glasgow Caledonian University, The University of Strathclyde, The Robert Gordon University, The University of Stirling, The University of the West of Scotland and Edinburgh Napier University.

Funding is limited and subject to a quota. Students must be nominated by their University for each year of the course. Please contact the School of Education and Social Work as nominations are at their discretion. There is no guarantee that a University will nominate a student for a Bursary, and they may have more students than quota places.

The School of Education and Social Work will send lists of nominated students to the SSSC. Those students will be invited to apply. Nomination does not guarantee eligibility for funding. Students will be assessed for residence eligibility, previous funding received and if eligible, entitlement.

If a student is not nominated initially, nominations can change over the assessment period. If at anytime a place becomes available they may nominate another student on the course. 

Please see the attached documents for your information:

The overall Bursary consists of various allowances and are intended as a contribution towards the costs of study:

  • Tuition fees - the maximum contribution the Postgraduate Bursary Scheme is approved to pay towards course fees this academic year is £3415. The maximum amount may not cover the full fee so please check this with with your chosen University. The contribution towards fees is paid directly to the relevant University on the student’s behalf. See our guide on how to pay the remainder of your Tuition Fees.
  • Means-tested grant and means-tested allowances (connected to dependants in the family). The Means-tested grant allowance is assessed using students’ unearned income; husband’s/wife's/civil partner’s income; or if a student is under 25 on the relevant date, we will take into account parental income, where applicable. The dependants allowances are assessed using a co-habitee’s income.
  • Placement Travel Expenses: all eligible students will receive £500 towards travel during their Practice Placement. 

The minimum an eligible student could be awarded each year are the Tuition Fees and Placement Travel Expenses.

As a guide: if they are nominated and eligible, a single person over 25, living in their own home, could be awarded (in 2021/22) a Means-tested grant of around £3949.00 per annum; £500 Placement Travel Expenses and the Tuition Fees.

Also, note that if you have studied a Postgraduate course previously and received public funding for this within the previous year, we will require further information if you are nominated, as this may also affect your eligibility.

Important: The Bursary is dependent on your registration with the SSSC Registry. In any case, if you have received an offer of a place on the MSc Social Work course in Scotland you must apply for registration as your course also depends on this. Please view the Scottish Social Services Council website or contact the SSSC Registry at registration@sssc.uk.com or call 0345 6030891 for further information. 

If you are not nominated or eligible for a Bursary you could seek funding information at the following organisations or at your chosen Universities: 

Scotland

Note: the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) do not support the MSc Social Work (full-time or distance-learning) via loan or grant.

UK wide

Other UK (students ordinarily resident in other countries of the UK)