Carnegie Trust: Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants

Carnegie Trust: Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
Amount: Up to £1,820
Last Updated: November 07, 2025

Summary

The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland offers Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants to support students who need to pay their own tuition fees due to prior studies or residency status. This grant particularly assists those who have previously attended university but did not complete their studies, often due to personal or financial challenges. Eligible candidates must demonstrate financial need and reside in Scotland, or show a substantial connection to the region.

Overview

Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants are aimed at students required to pay tuition fees themselves due to prior study or their residency status. The majority of the students we support attended university or college in the past but withdrew before completing their studies. Often this was the result of ill health, financial problems, or personal circumstances. Sometimes they just felt that their chosen course of study was not the right one for them. We also help a number of students who are seeking asylum in the UK. Background This scheme supports students enrolled on an undergraduate degree course at a Scottish Institute of Higher Education who are not eligible for government funding for their tuition fees. Applicants making a request for funding to the Carnegie Trust need to demonstrate that their financial circumstances do not allow them to cover the cost of their tuition fees. 2nd Degrees The Carnegie Trust recognises that many individuals may have encountered difficulties in gaining employment after an undergraduate degree, have suffered career setbacks, experienced health or personal issues which have forced them to reconsider their career path. To this end, the Trust has set aside a budget to fund students who completed an undergraduate degree in the past and wish to start an undergraduate degree in a different field of study in academic year 2025-26.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. 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 connection to Scotland on the basis of residency, education or upbringing;Be entitled to remain indefinitely in the UK; ORif an immigrant with Limited Leave to Remain, hold a visa that is valid for the entire duration of the course; ORbe 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).Notes:Applicants eligible for a SAAS/Student Loans Company maintenance loan are expected to take full advantage of the loans available to them.If you are a part-time student in receipt of tuition fee support from SAAS and are not eligible for any other grants, bursaries or loans, you may apply if the amount awarded by SAAS is less than the total amount of fees payable.Exceptionally, applications from students who already have a university degree level qualification may be considered at the discretion of the Trust. If you have graduated before, please contact the Trust to check your eligibility.Eligible coursesWhen you apply you must:Have an unconditional offer for a full-time, part-time or distance learning undergraduate degree course offered by one of the following institutions: universities: Aberdeen, Abertay, Dundee, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier, Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian, Heriot-Watt, Highlands and Islands, Queen Margaret, Robert Gordon, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclyde and West of Scotland;the Glasgow School of Art;the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland;ORHave an unconditional offer for a full-time, part-time or distance learning undergraduate degree course validated by one of these universities but delivered at a different institution located in Scotland (for example: Scotland’s Rural College or an FE College that delivers degree level courses).2nd DegreesThe Trust will consider applications from students who meet the general eligibility criteria of the undergraduate tuition fee grant scheme AND also meet ALL the following criteria:They completed their first degree at least two years before the start of their new course; They will enter the first year of their course in academic year 2025-26; They have been unable to gain employment in the subject area of their previous degree, are unemployed, have been made redundant or are facing redundancy; They wish to reskill in a different field of study, unrelated to their previous qualifications (whether at undergraduate, postgraduate or vocational level) and recognised as being in a skills shortage area for the Scottish economy. Eligible undergraduate degree courses are (listed by subject area):Medicine and health: medicine; dentistry; nursing; midwifery; medical and diagnostic radiography; paramedic science; speech and language therapy; occupational therapy; psychology (BSc); veterinary science Social work IT & Computing: software development and engineering; web design, cyber security; big data analysis Engineering and architecture: civil, mechanical and electrical engineering; chemical and production engineering; building engineering, quantity surveying and architecture Quantitative sciences: economics, actuarial science, statistics Geosciences: geology; geochemistry; geophysics; hydrology Biosciences: biology; biochemistry Cultural and creative studies: performing arts; arts, culture and heritage studies, specifically management and enterprise studies in the heritage, creative and performing art sectors

Ineligibility

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 following courses or study paths are not eligible for support:HNC and HND diploma coursesAccess coursesAccelerated degree courses with a graduate entryCourses delivered by, or at, a university outside ScotlandCourses at a Scottish Higher Education Institute delivered and validated by a university outside ScotlandOpen University coursesContinuing Professional Development (CPD) coursesUniversity courses below degree level, e.g. Diploma or Certificate coursesPostgraduate degreesStudents who have already started a 2nd degree before academic year 2025-26 are not eligible to apply.