Carnegie Trust Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants for Scottish Students from Low-Income Backgrounds

Scholarship Snapshot
Target Keyword: Carnegie Trust Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants
Amount: up to £1,820
Scope (full or partial): Full scholarship
Target Country: United Kingdom
Target Audience: Undergraduates, educated in Scotland and from a low-income background
Deadline: 1st December 2023

The Carnegie Trust Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grant is a valuable source of financial support for undergraduate students in Scottish higher education institutions. The grant is designed to assist students who are unable to receive government funding for their tuition fees, whether due to their residency status, prior education, or seeking asylum in the UK.  

The Trust aims to aid students who are facing personal challenges, financial difficulties, or health issues, which may impact their ability to continue their studies. 

This article explores the benefits of the Carnegie Trust grant and details how you can complete a winning application. 

Eligibility Status

To be considered for this grant, you must:

• Reside in Scotland at the time of applying and have completed at least two full years of secondary education in Scotland, OR be able to demonstrate (to the Trustees’ satisfaction) a substantial and recent connection to Scotland on the basis of residency, education (excluding university level education) or upbringing;
• Be entitled to remain indefinitely in the UK; OR
  • have Limited Leave to Remain under a visa that is valid for the entire duration of the course; OR
  • be an asylum seeker;
• Not be eligible for public funds (e.g. grants or loans) towards the cost of tuition fees, whether in Scotland, the UK or overseas;
• Live in a low-income household;
• Not have already graduated with a university degree (see Course eligibility)

However, students with the following courses or study paths are not eligible for support:

• HNC and HND diploma courses
• Access courses
• Accelerated degree courses with a graduate entry
• Courses delivered by, or at, a university outside Scotland
• Courses at a Scottish Higher Education Institute delivered and validated by a university outside Scotland
• Open University courses
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
• University courses below degree level, e.g. Diploma or Certificate courses
• Postgraduate degrees

Document Required

The documents listed below should be uploaded with your application form:

If you are eligible for a SAAS/Student Loans Company maintenance loan, you will need to upload:

1. Evidence of applicant eligibility;

• If applying on the basis of 2 years of secondary schooling in Scotland this would be your passport or driver’s licence and ONE of the following; Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) transcript, secondary school attendance record, school qualification certificates OR a letter from your school or college confirming dates of attendance.
• If applying on the basis of a substantial connection to Scotland please contact the Trust to discuss.

2. A letter of acceptance for your university course (or evidence you have enrolled if a return student), which should state your name, course title, degree type, and fee amount charged;

3. A SAAS award notice letter showing 

a) that you are not eligible for tuition fee support and,

b) the amount of the maintenance loan awarded to you.

If you are not eligible for a SAAS/ Student Loans Company maintenance loan, you will need to upload:

1. Evidence of applicant eligibility;

• If applying on the basis of 2 years of secondary schooling in Scotland this would be your passport or driver’s licence and ONE of the following; Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) transcript, secondary school attendance record, school qualification certificates OR a letter from your school or college confirming dates of attendance.
• If applying on the basis of a substantial connection to Scotland please contact the Trust to discuss.

2. Letter of acceptance for your university course (or evidence you have enrolled if a returning student) which should state your name, course title, degree type and fee amount charged;

3. A P60 (or equivalent document) for the tax year ending April 2019, or the last three pay slips for:

• the applicant if over 25, as well as for the applicant’s spouse or partner (if cohabiting);
• the applicant’s parents or guardian if aged 25 or under.

Acceptable formats for supporting evidence

The supporting evidence can be submitted in the following formats:

• scanned copies;
• images that were taken on a mobile if you do not have a scanner.

Note: there is a 5MB size limit on each file you submit online

Note: The Trust reserves the right to request further information/evidence from applicants to assess their situation.

Terms and Conditions:

Here are some critical details about the grant:

• The Carnegie Trust Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grant supports students enrolled in an undergraduate degree course at a Scottish Institute of Higher Education who are unable to receive government funding for their tuition fees. 
• To apply for the grant, applicants must provide proof that their financial circumstances do not allow them to pay for their tuition fees.
• Retrospective applications will not be accepted, nor will the Trust accept an application when the student has incurred tuition fee debts in a previous year of study and is unable to move to the next level of their course as a result.
• The awards cover tuition fees only

Host institutions

Glasgow Caledonian University

Application Process

• All applications are made online here. The online portal is open from 1st June 2023 to 1st December 2023 for the academic year 2023-2024.
• Before you apply, complete the eligibility checker to make sure you are eligible to apply. Based on your answers, if you appear to be eligible, the Apply Now button will appear. Use this to access the online application form, available as long as the scheme is open for applications.
• Note: the result of the eligibility checker is indicative only and there is no guarantee that your application will be successful on the basis of the eligibility checker. The final outcome of your application will be determined by the information entered in your application and by the supporting evidence you provide.
• Once you have submitted your complete application, you will receive an automatic reply confirming you have received it. You may need to check your spam folder for this email. If you do not receive this confirmation email within 10 minutes, contact the Trust.

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