SHEFC Fee Waiver Scheme 2011/2012
Notes For Applicants

The 2011/12 fee waiver budget has now been exhausted. We regret we cannot accept new applications for the 2011/12 academic session.

Part-Time Undergraduate Students

The purpose of this scheme is to assist part-time students studying towards a first degree who are from lower income groups or unemployed to participate in higher education through the provision of a tuition fee waiver. In order to benefit from the scheme you must meet the following conditions prior to the commencement of the course:

a) be settled in the UK (as defined by the UK Immigration Act 1971) and be domiciled in Scotland and must have been b) ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for three years and c) must not have been resident mainly for the purpose of full-time study. EU nationals who have met the residency requirements in an EU country are also eligible for support.

You must also meet at least one of conditions 1 - 5 set out below

The definition of 'family' is as follows:

	Mature single student, or
	Married or unmarried couple, or
	Couple in a civil partnership, or
	Married or unmarried couple or couple in a civil partnership with dependant children, or
	Lone parent with dependant children.

To be eligible under 1,2,3 & 4 above you must provide the University with official documentary evidence of your entitlement from:

	the Benefits Agency or
	Job Centre Plus

NB - Documentary evidence provided must be less than three months old.

In the case of 5 above, you must provide the University with written confirmation that the relevant criterion is being met.

In addition,

	students who already have a first degree may be eligible for a fee waiver to study for another first degree, provided they satisfy aspects of the criteria listed above
	applications are invited from all Stirling part-time undergraduate students irrespective of the stage of study
	full-time students transferring to part-time are also eligible to apply.

Applications for fee waiver support should be made once a year, normally at the start of the Autumn Semester. If granted, fee waiver support will be given throughout the 2011/2012 Academic Session, subject to no significant change in circumstances. Students receiving support from the fund must make the University aware of any material change in their financial status throughout the period of support. Likewise, a material change to a student's status during the year, may result in the student becoming eligible for a fee waiver for the remainder of the session. In this case, students should contact the Student Administration Office without delay in order that their application may be considered for support.

Only tuition fees may be eligible for a fee waiver; the cost of any assessment or examination or additional charges for a course are not eligible under the scheme. Additional support for part-time students facing financial hardship is also available from the Hardship Fund, administered by the Student Support and Information Service, details of which are available from late August, each Academic Session. Please refer to http://www.student-support.stir.ac.uk/advice/finance/help/index.php for further information.

Download Application Form

Completed application forms should be returned to: Student Administration Office, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA

Back to Information for Students