The Scottish Government has recently announced significant changes to the part-time fee grant which means more OU students will be able to benefit and to a greater extent.
OUSA in Scotland welcomes this annoucement especially the news that the minimum level of study to qualify is to be reduced to 30 credits. This is a particular request that OUSA in Scotland made to the Scottish Government during two consultations "Smarter Scotland" and "Putting Learners at the Centre".
There are still a number of areas that need clarified and OUSA in Scotland will be seeking further information from the Government.
The following text is from the OU in Scotland's email that was sent out to all current students.
Changes to the Part-Time Fee Grant for 2013:
The Scottish Government has announced changes to the Part-Time Fee Grant which will come into effect from September 2013. The main changes are:
- the current income threshold will be changed from £22,000 to £25,000
- students studying 30 credits or more will be able to apply for a Part-Time Fee Grant.
The Scottish Government announcement is available here: http://engageforeducation.org/2012/08/scottish-student-support-announcement/
Further information on the changes to the Part-Time Fee Grant will be available in due course from the Student Awards Agency Scotland: http://www.saas.gov.uk/
Part-Time Fee Waiver:
The Open University understands that from September 2013, the Student Awards Agency Scotland will administer the Part-Time Fee Waiver Scheme and that there have been no changes to the scheme.
Fees at The Open University in Scotland for academic year 2012-13:
Tuition fees in Scotland this year are the same for both the current and the restructured undergraduate qualifications, and are expected to remain at very similar levels as before, with only small inflationary increases. For more information about ways to pay go to http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/qualification/ways-to-pay/index.htm