Funding in Scotland
In Scotland, the Students Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) will cover the cost of undergraduate tuition fees and offers a living cost loan which is dependent on your household income. You may also be eligible for a bursary which does not need to be repaid. For postgraduate studies, SAAS funding varies depending on the course being undertaken but generally, they offer both a tuition fee and living cost loan.
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In addition to the assistance provided by SAAS, there are various other sources of funding including: scholarships; discretionary bursaries; and trusts. The majority of these resources are exclusive to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, therefore, applicants must fulfil certain criteria to be eligible.
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Click on the buttons below to find information relevant to you.
Prospective Law Students
Student Awards Agency Scotland
Full-time Undergraduate
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SAAS will cover the cost of tuition fees for your undergraduate degree if you meet certain conditions. However, you must apply each year to have these costs covered. SAAS also offers a student loan to help with living costs and a bursary, the value of which varies depending on your household income.
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Part-time Undergraduate
SAAS offers a Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG) which can contribute to the cost of your tuition fees. The amount of tuition fee paid will depend on the number of credits being undertaken and the type of qualification concerned. Unfortunately, SAAS does not offer any support for living or travel costs for part-time students.
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SAAS also offers various other types of support for those who are not school leavers, have dependents or have other support needs.
CMS Law Scholarship
This scholarship provides financial support (£2,500 per year of law degree), as well as mentoring and work experience to the successful applicant.
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Applicants must be in S5/S6 and write an essay on a prescribed topic accompanied by an academic reference. If successful, the next stage involves attending an Assessment Day.
There are various eligibility criteria which can be found on the website, with applications closing in June each year.
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LawScot Foundation
The LawScot Foundation offers an award of ~ £2,500 p/a to the successful applicant as well as the opportunity to be mentored throughout university. Students must meet certain criteria. You must:
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Have an offer to study the LLB at a Scottish University in the coming year
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Have parental/guardian total income below £34,000 or your circumstances are such that you would be unable to attend university due to your financial situation
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Currently be at school or college, or have left either within the last two years
All information will be considered before deciding on the recipient.
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University Support
Most universities offer scholarships and bursaries for prospective law students who may face financial difficulties at university. These can range from travel bursaries and annual grants to trust funds. Please visit individual university websites for more information. Alternatively, please see the Law Society of Scotland Funding Document below.
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The Carnegie Trust
The Carnegie Trust provides undergraduate tuition fee grants to students required to pay tuition fees themselves due to prior study or their residency status.
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Eligible candidates must be undergraduate students who have been previously educated in Scotland and are from a low income background. The grant value is up to an average of £1820 for the cost of tuition fees, with around 250 - 300 grants being awarded each year.
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Applications open in June and close in December each year.
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There is further eligibility criteria which can be found on the website.
Undergraduate Law Students
Kirk Murdoch Scholarship
Created by Pinsent Masons, the Kirk Murdoch Scholarship is open to applications from students who have benefitted from the LawScot Foundation bursary in their second year of study. Successful applicants will benefit from a paid summer placement, continual mentoring and potential progression within the firm.
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Gilchrist Educational Trust
The following categories of students are eligible for consideration to be supported by the Gilchrist Educational Trust:
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those who have made proper provision to fund a degree or higher education course but find themselves facing unexpected financial difficulties which may prevent completion of it. Applicants will normally be in the last year of the course.
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those who, as part of a degree course, are required to spend a short period studying in another country. Examples are the fieldwork necessary for a thesis or dissertation, or medical students’ elective period of study.
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Upon receipt of an enquiry from a student who appears to be eligible, the Trust sends a list of the information required before an application can be considered. Applications from individuals may be submitted at any time of the year. They must be sent by post and will not be accepted via e-mail.
During the Trust's last financial year, 53 students received either an Adult Study Grant (average £528) or a Travel Study Grant (average £531).
LawForAll
LawForAll is a book donation service dedicated to bridging the barriers faced by law students from low income backgrounds.
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We are constantly looking to extend our reach to potential donors and students seeking help. If you are interested in helping out or requesting our service, we offer two types of donation:
1. We have a stock list of available resources ready to be posted to eligible students, or
2. Students provide us with a reading list which we pass on to sponsors. The sponsor then pays for the resources and sends directly to them.
Sutherland Page Trust
Kirk Murdoch Scholarship
Kirk Murdoch Scholarship
Sutherland Page Fund
The Sutherland Page Trust invites applications from Undergraduates studying courses in Law who have successfully completed the first year of their course, and who are attending a Scottish University.
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Applications will be considered individually, and the amount of an award will be at the discretion of the Trustee. However, the Trust funds are limited.
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More information, including application guidance, can be found on individual university websites.
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University Support
Most universities offer scholarships and bursaries for prospective law students who may face financial difficulties at university. These can range from travel bursaries and annual grants to trust funds. Please visit individual university websites for more information. Alternatively, please see the Law Society of Scotland Funding Document below.
Making Links Scholars
Linklaters has created Making Links Scholars which is designed to help talented university students from low-income backgrounds succeed in their early careers.
Scholars receive one-to-one coaching sessions, mentoring, guaranteed work experience and £6,000 in financial support, as well as becoming an ambassador for the Making Links campaign and working with Linklaters to shape their social mobility strategy.
To be eligible you must be:
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In the first year of a three-year course or second year of a four-year course
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From a low-income background (first generation to attend university, received free school meals or experienced other forms of social disadvantage
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Committed to pursuing a career in commercial law
Postgraduate Law Students
SAAS
SAAS offers tuition fee support for courses at Postgraduate Diploma and Masters level, but not for courses at Postgraduate Certificate, PhD or Doctorate level. Full-time students can apply for a loan for the total value of £10,000. £5,500 may be used towards tuition fees and the remainder as a living cost loan. For part-time students, SAAS offers a loan of £2,750.
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University Support
Most universities offer scholarships and bursaries for prospective law students who may face financial difficulties at university. These can range from travel bursaries and annual grants to trust funds. Please visit individual university websites for more information.
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Employer Sponsorship
If you secure a Training Contract with a law firm prior to commencing the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice, they will generally pay the cost of your tuition fees and (in some circumstances) also provide you with a maintenance grant. This information is outlined on the recruitment section of a law firm's website.
Clark (Mile-End) Bursary Fund
The Clark (Mile-End) Bursary Fund is a charitable endowment which was established in 1868 by a Victorian philanthropist by the name of John Clark. He was a thread manufacturer and prominent citizen from Paisley. The charity awards between 5 - 10 bursaries annually for the value of £500 - £1000.
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You are only eligible to apply if:
(a) you have already obtained an honours degree from the University of Glasgow or Strathclyde and are now studying for, or applying to study for, a subsequent degree / post-graduate course which is either at the University of Glasgow or Strathclyde or is at another university in the UK or abroad; or
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(b) you have already obtained an honours degree from another university in the UK or abroad and are now studying for, or applying to study for, a subsequent degree / post-graduate course which is at the University of Glasgow or Strathclyde.
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Postgraduate Solutions Bursary
This bursary is worth £500 and, if successful in your application, it will be paid directly to your institution to be deducted from your tuition fees.
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To apply, you must have accepted an offer for post-graduate study in the UK and you must complete a 200-word statement about why you should receive a bursary.
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Sutherland Page Trust
The Sutherland Page Trust invites applications from postgraduates studying courses in Law who have successfully completed the first year of their course, and who are attending a Scottish University.
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Applications will be considered individually, and the amount of an award will be at the discretion of the Trustee. However, the Trust funds are limited.
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More information, including application guidance, can be found on individual university websites.
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