SAAS postgraduate funding can make a Masters or postgraduate diploma more manageable, but the rules differ sharply between Scotland and England. This guide explains who is eligible, how much support is available, and how repayment works for the 2026/27 academic year.
Quick overview: what SAAS postgraduate funding covers in 2026/27
SAAS, the student awards agency for Scotland, provides postgraduate loans for tuition fees and living costs to eligible students studying in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK, including England. The scheme is run by the student awards agency scotland and is separate from student finance in England.
For 2026/27:
- Scottish postgraduate loans are funded by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and include a tuition fee loan of up to £7,000 and a living cost loan of up to £6,900 for the 2026/27 academic year.
- The maximum amount available for a scottish postgraduate loan is £13,900, divided into a tuition fee loan capped at £7,000 and a living cost loan that is not means-tested.
- These postgraduate loans mainly support a masters degree, research masters, master’s courses and postgraduate diploma study.
- Repayment is income-contingent under Plan 4 rules.
This article focuses on eligible scottish students using SAAS in Scotland or England, and how this differs from England, where students in England can apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan of up to £13,206.
Who can get SAAS postgraduate loans? (eligibility criteria)
Eligibility criteria combine residence conditions, nationality or immigration status, and course type. Postgraduate funding is administered by the awards agency scotland saas, and students normally apply online each academic year through the SAAS website.
To qualify for a SAAS Postgraduate Loan, you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man for three years prior to the relevant date and be ordinarily resident in Scotland on that date. For autumn starts, the relevant date is usually 1 August, the first academic year date used for assessment.
Key rules:
- The tuition fee loan has no upper age limit.
- The living cost loan is usually only for full time students under 61 on the start date of the course.
- To be eligible for a tuition fee loan, you cannot have previously received support from UK or other eu public funds for a course of postgraduate study.
- You must not be in arrears on a previous student loan.
- You cannot receive funding twice for the same postgraduate degree from overlapping UK or European Union public sources.
Student Finance England has separate residency requirements, age rules and prior-study rules for England.
Residence conditions and “ordinary residence” explained
Ordinarily resident means Scotland is your normal home, not just where you live during term time. Most applicants must have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before 1 August and ordinarily resident in Scotland on that date.
Temporary time abroad, such as a gap year, Armed Forces posting or short-term work, may still count, but check SAAS guidance. Moving from England to Scotland only for postgraduate study usually does not make you eligible.
Exceptions can apply for refugees, humanitarian protection, some workers and family members. Evidence may include council tax bills, tenancy agreements and payslips.
Nationality, settled status and EU students
Nationality affects both postgraduate loans and fee status in Scotland and England. UK nationals resident in Scotland, Irish nationals and a uk national who meets the residence rules can usually access full SAAS postgraduate funding.
- EU nationals with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are eligible for postgraduate loans if they meet the residence conditions set by SAAS.
- EU nationals with pre settled status may qualify if they meet detailed residence rules, but this is more complex.
- Most new eu students arriving after 1 August 2021 without settled or pre settled status are not eligible for Scottish Government postgraduate loans or home fees.
In England, Student Finance England has its own rules for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals.
Which postgraduate courses are eligible?
SAAS does not fund every course. It publishes eligible postgraduate courses each academic session.
Common eligible qualifications include:
- taught masters programmes such as MSc, MA, MEd, MBA and LLM
- research masters such as MRes and MPhil
- postgraduate diploma courses at SCQF level 11 or equivalent
Some Postgraduate Certificates and integrated routes may qualify if part of a designated postgraduate degree pathway. Standalone short courses and many professional training diplomas are not normally eligible.
PhDs, EdDs and DProfs are not covered by SAAS postgraduate loans. Funding through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) often supports doctoral and research students in tech, software security, and digital innovation.
Distance learning can be eligible where the university is recognised, the course has defined contact time with teaching staff, and SAAS accepts the structure.
Course length, study mode and where you study (Scotland vs England)
SAAS can support study at a university in Scotland and, in many cases, England.
Typical rules:
- Full time courses: Masters up to two years; PGDip up to one year.
- Part time courses: usually no longer than twice the full time equivalent.
- Full-time students can apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £7,000, while part-time students can receive a loan for courses that last no longer than twice the length of the full-time equivalent.
- Postgraduate loans in Scotland are available for both full-time and part-time students, but part-time students are not eligible for the living cost loan.
- Part time postgraduate students should check minimum intensity rules.
Scottish students can use SAAS for eligible English courses. If you are domiciled in England and study in Scotland, you usually apply through Student Finance England.
How much can you borrow? Tuition fee loan and living cost loan
SAAS separates fee support from living-cost support. Both are repayable loans and interest is added from the first payment date.
In 2026/27, the tuition fee loan is up to £7,000 and is paid directly to the university or college. If tuition fees are higher, you must pay the difference from savings, scholarships, employer sponsorship or other postgraduate funding.
The living cost loan is up to £6,900 for eligible full time students and may include a Special Support element designed not to affect certain benefits. Government loans can act as a non-means-tested contribution toward postgraduate education, and household income does not usually change the maximum loan available.
For multi-year study, the full amount is divided across years. In England, the Postgraduate Master’s Loan is one combined loan paid to the student for fees and living costs.
Living Cost Loan: what it can and cannot cover
The living cost loan helps with rent, food, travel and study costs, but rarely covers full living costs. In Edinburgh, £750 rent plus £180 utilities and transport can use most of the monthly amount quickly. In Manchester or Newcastle, £650 rent plus £170 essentials still leaves pressure once food and materials are added.
The loan is normally for eligible full-time students only, not part-time students or EU students who came to Scotland solely to study without the required UK status. Payments go to your bank account monthly or termly. If you claim Universal Credit or benefits, seek advice before borrowing the full amount.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and extra support
The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides funding for postgraduate students with disabilities or health problems that affect their studies, regardless of household income. The disabled students allowance is non-repayable and separate from the main postgraduate loan.
DSA may cover assistive software, ergonomic equipment, note-takers, interpreters, mentors, extra travel or disability-related printing. It does not cover rent, tuition fees or standard items for all students.
You apply to SAAS if Scottish-domiciled or Student Finance England if English-domiciled. Evidence may include medical documents or a learning difficulty report, followed by a study needs assessment.
Other targeted support: childcare, discretionary funds and hardship grants
Extra support exists beyond the main loan. Discretionary funds are available from universities to assist students facing financial difficulties, but eligibility requires meeting residency requirements and having applied for the maximum Student Loan available.
Childcare funds are provided by the Scottish government to help full-time students cover childcare costs, and universities decide the allocation of these funds based on applications. Similar hardship support may exist in England.
Grants, bursaries, and scholarships are available for postgraduate students, offering free money that does not need to be repaid, although competition for these funds can be intense.
How to apply for SAAS postgraduate funding
Applications are made through SAAS “My Account”. You must reapply each academic year of postgraduate study.
Steps:
- Create or log in to My Account.
- Select Postgraduate.
- Enter your course and university.
- Confirm residence and immigration status.
- Upload evidence if requested.
- Submit before the deadline.
Applications usually open around spring before the academic year. For 2026/27, apply before 30 June 2026 where possible; late applications may be accepted until 31 March 2027. Once SAAS confirms registration and attendance, fee payments are paid directly to the institution and living cost instalments go to your bank account.
Use the same login if moving from an undergraduate loan to postgraduate funding.
Documentation, deadlines and common application issues
Submit accurate information and respond quickly to evidence requests. You may need a passport, birth certificate, National Insurance number, council tax bill, tenancy agreement, or settled status documents.
Avoid choosing undergraduate instead of postgraduate, entering the wrong start date, or assuming undergraduate funding rules apply automatically. Keep copies and check your SAAS dashboard for further information.
Repaying your postgraduate loan (Scotland and England comparison)
Postgraduate loan repayments for SAAS are made through the UK tax system under Plan 4, alongside any Scottish undergraduate borrowing. Repayments for Scottish postgraduate loans begin in April after graduation, where borrowers pay 9% of their income over £33,795 per year.
If someone earns £36,000, they repay 9% of £2,205, or about £198 a year. The interest rate is linked to inflation, with 3.2% a recent example, but it can change.
If a borrower has a Scottish undergraduate student loan, it will be combined with their postgraduate loan, resulting in a single monthly payment of 9% towards both debts. Any outstanding balance on a Plan 4 loan will be written off 30 years after the April when repayments were due to start.
English postgraduate loans use a different plan, so cross-border graduates may have separate deductions.
How repayments work in practice (employment, self-employment and moving abroad)
For UK employees, repayments are automatically deducted through PAYE and shown on payslips. If self employed, you repay through Self Assessment.
If you move abroad, contact the Student Loans Company because overseas thresholds differ. Use official calculators before borrowing.
Other sources of postgraduate funding beyond SAAS
SAAS support may not cover every course, especially high-fee courses in Scotland and England. Postgraduate