Full time study

Guide to EMA Bursary Funding

Further Education Bursaries and Education Maintenance Allowance 2023/2024

Will I Be Eligible to Receive Funding? 

Anyone who meets the residential requirements may be eligible. In most cases, if you have been resident in the United Kingdom for the 3 years before the start date of your course and are resident in Scotland at the start of the course, you are likely to be eligible. There are a number of special cases in relation to residency requirements and so if you are in any doubt about this issue, please contact the Student Funding Team. 

Bursary and Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) support may be available to students for a full time course or programme of study, which leads to a recognised qualification up to, but not including Higher National Certificate. Part-time students may be eligible for bursary support towards travel and study expenses. Part-time students on an eligible course may receive EMA between ages 16-19 as long as they are not already in receipt of EMA from another College or Local Authority. 

For How Long Will Support Be Available? 

Bursary 

Bursary support will normally be available for a one year course or programme. In certain circumstances, courses may be approved by the College Board of Management for a maximum of 3 years of study. Applicants should note that approval of year one should not be taken as a guarantee of support for future years. 

Bursaries will not normally be available for those who have previously received financial support for a full time course beyond the age of 18 years. However, in some circumstances the College may make a second award if there are fair and good reasons for doing so. 

If you have studied before and would like to check your eligibility for a bursary, please contact our Student Funding Team for advice. 

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) 

EMA support will normally be restricted to a maximum of 3 years for any individual student. However, you may be entitled to more than 3 years if you have additional support needs. 

What Funding Can I Apply For? 

You may be able to apply for help with: 

• Living costs such as accommodation, clothing and food.
• Full-time students aged under 18 on the start date of their course will be able to apply for EMA support for living costs. EMA is means tested based on household income.
• Part-time students aged under 20 and on an eligible course will be able to apply for EMA.
• Full-time students aged 18 or over on the start date of their course will be able to apply for Bursary support for living costs. Bursary for living costs is means tested based on household income.
• Study Expenses – the cost of necessary materials, clothing and equipment. This may be provided in kind by the College. Study expenses will not be means tested for students aged under 18 on the start date of their course. 
• Travel expenses. If you live more than 2 miles from the College, you may get help with your travel expenses. It is expected that students who choose to move away from home to study will stay in Perth; therefore, travel will not be paid to students choosing to move away from home and stay out with Perth. 
• Students aged under 22 will generally not receive support for travel expenses as they will be expected to use the free Under 22 bus pass provided by the Scottish Government if they can reasonably get to College using free bus travel. You should apply for the Young Scot card with the free bus pass at https://getyournec.scot/nec/ 
• Students who turn 22 during their course may receive a means tested travel allowance, payable from when they turn 22. 
• Expenses for students with Additional Support Needs. 
• Dependant's Allowance for students who have care responsibilities for an adult dependant. Students can only claim for one dependent adult and any dependant's allowance is subject to a deduction in respect of any income received by the dependant. 

How Much Will I Receive? 

EMA for Living Costs (Full-time Students Aged Under 18 on the Start Date of Their Course or Part-time Students Aged Under 20)

Your application will be assessed based on the gross taxable income in your household for the year ending 5 April 2023. Income eligibility, correct at the time of publication, is as follows: 

 

Income	Weekly Amount
Only child, household income up to £24,421	£30
Only child, household income over £24,421	£0
More than one child in household, household income up to £26,884	£30
More than one child in household, household income over £26,884	£0

EMA Students who live away from the parental home may be entitled to receive an additional means tested allowance of up to £49.91 per week payable from the Bursary Fund. 

Bursary for Living Costs (Students Aged 18 or Over on the Start Date of Their Course) 

Your application will be assessed on the basis of the gross taxable income in your household for the year ending 5 April 2023. The following tables show how the weekly maintenance allowances for different categories of student change based on parental or spouse/partner income. 

Students Aged Under 18

At Home	Away from home
EMA Rates Payable	Parental Income	Weekly Amount
	Under £20,351	£49.91
	£25,000	£36.85
	£30,000	£23.93
	Over £39,259	£0.00

Parentally Supported Students

At Home		Away from Home
Parental Income	Weekly Amount	Parental Income	Weekly Amount
Under £24,275	£99.35	Under £24,275	£125.55
£35,000	£70.59	£35,000	£96.79
£45,000	£44.75	£45,000	£58.03
Over £59,166	£0.00	Over £59,166	£0.00

Self-Supporting Students living with a Spouse or Partner 

Spouse/Partner's Income	Weekly Amount	Spouse/Partner's Income	Weekly Amount
Under £20,643	£125.55	£45,000	£61.57
£25,000	£113.25	Over £63,866	£0.00
£35,000	£87.41

If you are in receipt of Universal Credit and are eligible to continue to receive this whilst at college, you will be awarded a weekly allowance of up to £28.00 instead of the above weekly allowance.

Please note that these figures are for guidance only based on a 40-week course and may vary depending on your personal circumstances. The above tables do not consider any travel/study expenses or dependant's allowances that may be payable (see below).

Deductions may also be made based on the income available to the student. Deductions on a pound per pound basis are made on student income as follows:

• Unearned income in excess of £24.19 per week. 

Dependant's Allowance

Dependant's Allowance of up to £67.55 per week subject to the conditions outlined above.

Care Experienced Students

Care Experienced students can receive the Care Experienced Allowance of £225.00 per week. This is a non-means-tested award to any student who has, at any time in their life, been looked after by a local authority in the UK; AND

• Is beyond their statutory school leaving date (for most students this will mean a minimum age of 16).

Means Testing of Awards

A funding award will normally be means tested based on the household income of the applicant. Students who are married or living with a partner in an established relationship will have their award means tested based on their spouse or partner's income. Single students will normally have their award means tested based on parental income unless they meet the criteria for Self-Supporting Status outlined below:

You are classed as self-supporting if you:

Are aged 25 or over on the start date of your course.

If you have not yet reached the age of 25, you should still be defined as "Self-Supporting" if one or more of the following criteria applies to you on the start date of your course:

You are married or in a civil partnership. This does not include situations where the student was married but that marriage broke down prior to the start date of the course; or

• You have no living parents; or
• You are caring for a child dependent on you; or
• You have supported yourself for a total of at least 3 years. This includes periods where you were either: 
  • In employment and earning equal to or more than current income support levels; or
  • Supported by a partner with earnings equal to or more than current income support levels; or
  • On a training programme operated by or on behalf of the Scottish Government or Skills Development Scotland (SDS); or
  • In receipt of certain Benefits. A full listing of the qualifying Benefits can be found in Paragraph 52 of the Scottish Funding Council’s National Policy for Further Education Bursaries Advisors Notes at https://www.sfc.ac.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.aspx?lID=23520&sID=14780; or
  • Living away from the parental home and can provide a copy of a formal rent agreement for the relevant period; or
  • Caring for a person (adult or child) dependent on you. The college will look for evidence that the student has been the primary carer for an adult; or
  • Estranged from your parents and can provide proof of this. In this context we refer to a permanent and irrevocable breakdown in the parental/child relationship.

How Will I Be Paid?

EMA will be paid in arrears in regular fortnightly instalments into your bank account. EMA is not payable for the October, Christmas, Easter and summer holidays. Bursary will also be paid in regular fortnightly instalments into your bank account. Bursary for living costs is payable for the October, Christmas and Easter holidays, but not for the summer holidays.

When Should I Apply?

To avoid delay, please apply for funding as soon as possible after receiving your course acceptance. We aim to ensure that everyone who submits their funding application along with all required supporting documentation before 31 July 2023 will receive notification of their funding entitlement before the start of their course.

Students applying for an EMA will not have payments backdated to the start of term if their application is received after 30 September 2023.

Students applying for a Bursary will not have their payments backdated to the start of term if their application is received more than 6 weeks after the start date of their course.

What Other Support is Available to Me?

Discretionary Funds

Discretionary Funds are primarily for emergency use and cases of financial hardship. They may be awarded as emergency payments or to help with accommodation costs for single students who have no eligibility for Housing Benefit or payment of housing costs through Universal Credit.

Students will be able to apply online for Discretionary Funds from July 2023. For more information about Discretionary Funds, please contact our Student Funding Team at studentfunding.perth@uhi.ac.uk 

Childcare Funds

The Childcare Fund is there to provide or fund childcare for students studying at College. Eligible students can receive help with the cost of childcare during term-time for days that the student is timetabled to be in class.

Students will be able to apply for Childcare Funds from July 2023. For more information about Childcare Funds, please contact our Student Funding Adviser at studentfunding.perth@uhi.ac.uk  

Can I Appeal?

Grounds for Appeal

Bursaries and EMAs awarded by Perth College UHI are determined under the National Funding Policies laid down by the Scottish Funding Council. While the College seeks to administer the Policies with the maximum of efficiency and equity a formal appeals procedure has been established which can be used where students have either a general or specific appeal in respect of the way in which their application has been handled. Students may appeal on the grounds of failure to observe the correct procedures in handling the application or on the grounds of incorrect calculation of the amount.

However, where there would appear to be grounds for appeal against the decision, the situation must in the first instance be taken up with the Head of Student Experience to allow a further assessment to be made. You must do this within 10 working days of the date of your decision letter. The College will not accept appeals that challenge the provisions of the Funding Policies.

If after this stage you are still not happy, you should write to the Depute Principal, Academic stating clearly the reasons why you wish to refer your case to them. The correspondence should be clearly marked either "Appeal against Bursary Award" or "Appeal against EMA Award" as appropriate.

Appeals Procedure

The Depute Principal, Academic or their nominee, normally a member of the Senior Management Team, will fully investigate the grounds of the appeal and reply within 20 working days of receiving the letter. The Depute Principal, Academic or the Principal will be the final adjudicator in the Appeals Procedure.

Please contact the Student Services Team who will be happy to assist you with your appeal if you require their help.

How Can I Find Out More?

If you have any further queries, our Student Funding Team will be happy to help you. Please email studentfunding.perth@uhi.ac.uk  

If you have not heard from us within 28 days of applying for your Bursary or EMA and submitting your supporting evidence, please contact our Student Funding Officer by emailing studentfunding.perth@uhi.ac.uk

 

Guide to accessing the Student Hub

Applying for your EMA, Further Education Bursary, Further and Higher Education Childcare and Discretionary Funding through UHI Records 

Applications for any of the above can be made online through your UHI Records account which can be found through the college website or directly at www.studentjourney.uhi.ac.uk 

Your UHI Records account is your electronic view of the records the college holds about your studies and is one of the methods the College uses to communicate with you about various aspects of your college life. 

In addition to applying for funding you can also use UHI Records to:

• enrol on your course
• contact your tutor
• keep you up to date with college life and lots more...

Funding

Financial assistance from the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), Further Education Bursary, Childcare and/or Discretionary Funds are only available through your account. This includes Higher Education discretionary and Higher Education Childcare and all correspondence about your entitlement is communicated through your account. Such as 

• Who to contact and how 
• Follow the progress of your application 
• View what documents you need to submit
• Download forms that may be requested for your application
• View and print your award letters
• How your award is calculated
• Submit an Appeal and request a Re-assessment – this allows you to appeal the funding decision or inform staff of any changes to circumstances that may mean a re-assessment of circumstances.

Accessing your UHI Records Account 

In your internet browser go to the following address www.studentjourney.uhi.ac.uk (You can also find a link to UHI Records on the student section of the UHI website). Click the Current Students & Staff Login button then login with your username and password which has been sent previously. 

Always keep your password secret and do not share it with anyone. We will never ask you for your password. Details can be found at: https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/lis/password-self-service/ 

Applying for funding 

To access your funding application, click on the “Apply for funding” Once you have submitted your application you can view its progress and other information relevant to you by clicking on the box entitled “funding” from the student hub dropdown (See below)

If you have any questions about completing your online funding application, please contact: StudentFunding.Perth@uhi.ac.uk

Using UHI Records in General 

From the Student Hub dropdown at the left of the screen you can explore all the different areas of your account. You should familiarise yourself with these areas for information on what is available to you. 

Modules

This allows you to see:

• Completed module results
• Modules you are taking this year
• Resits or modules continuing from a previous year

Personal Details

Students can check and change their address or contact details at any stage as well as change data sharing consent options. Care Experience (whether you have been in care) can also be updated as appropriate. For changing next of kin details students need to contact the local registry team to update this information. Your next of kin would be contacted by your college should there be any emergencies, so it is important that you let your college know of any changes. 

Forms

On this screen you can:

• Print out a dyslexia sticker (only available to students who have contacted their local disability co-ordinator in the first instance).
• Apply for mitigating circumstances for exams/assessments (HE Students only) Along with other options regarding your study options.

Student Support

For students with disclosed disabilities or additional support needs we can arrange assistance and advice to help you get the most of your time out of university/college. If you have any queries, please contact your local support team in the first instance.

Guide to uploading documents to your Student Funding Application

When you submit your online funding application you will be asked to provide documents to confirm the information you have entered on your funding application. You will see them immediately after you submit the application, and you can view them each time you login to your Hub account. 

Your application will not be looked at by any staff or considered for processing unless you have uploaded a document for each evidence request. 

You can submit your documents by scanning or taking a photo of them on your phone and uploading them direct into your application. You can do this at any time while your application is active. 

You must ensure the photo or scan is clear and shows dates, names etc. Screenshots on your phone will not be acceptable if this information is not shown. We also require all pages of the document. 

How to upload your documents

To upload the documents yourself, when you have logged into your UHI Records account, click on the Student Hub at the left of the screen and select Funding from the drop down.

You may get a screen which asks you to select the course for which you want to apply for funding. Your course should appear when you click on the drop-down button at the right of the field. 

This will take you to “Funding” Section of your UHI Records account and click on the “Evidence” tab (circled on the screenshot below) to see which documentary evidence you need to submit.

 

 

 

This will take you to a screen, which shows you the documents we require. Click on Upload Documents

This will take you to the upload page, please read what document formats are acceptable for documents requested, as multiple screenshots, screenshots without details such as names, addresses, account numbers and dates etc. will not be acceptable. 

When you click on this button, your device will open its browser to allow you to go to the location where you have chosen to store the document. We recommend that you name your documents something obvious which relates to the document request to ensure you upload the correct document to the request. Click on it and either click “Open” or double click on it. This will take you back to the file uploader screen and show File Status as “Awaiting Upload”. 

 

 Check you have attached the correct document to the correct evidence request. Then click UPLOAD.

Once complete, the evidence record will show that the document has been submitted. 

 

 

When you have submitted a document for each evidence request, your application status will move to “Pending” on our system and will then be considered for funding by the Student Funding team. 

If you have any questions, please contact: StudentFunding.Perth@uhi.ac.uk