St Andrews Access Award

St Andrews Access Award

You get a non-repayable grant of roughly EUR 3,000 to EUR 5,800 per year (about £2,651 to £5,065) for the whole length of your undergraduate degree at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. The exact amount depends on your household income. It has several parts: a monthly living allowance paid to your bank account, £1,900 (about EUR 2,200) towards university or private accommodation, and a discount on sports membership. If you have been in care, you get the highest rate, at least £5,065 (about EUR 5,800) a year. The same application can also put you forward for a Wardlaw Scholarship worth £1,000 to £4,400 (about EUR 1,150 to EUR 5,050) per year, or the Robertson Trust Scholarship for Scottish residents.

Who can apply

• Level: You are starting an undergraduate degree at the University of St Andrews.
• Study mode: You study full time or part time on campus. Online distance learning does not qualify.
• Field of study: Any subject offered at St Andrews, from medicine and law to sciences, languages and the arts.
• Where you live: You have Home or Rest of UK fee status. This means you are from Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• Financial need: A household income below £34,000 (about EUR 39,000) gets you the guaranteed award. With a higher income you can still apply for the non-guaranteed Wardlaw and other awards.
• Timing: You can apply as soon as you have applied for a course, without waiting for an offer.
• Extra priority: You are especially welcome to apply if you have been in care, are estranged from your family, are seeking asylum or a refugee, are a young carer, or live in a lower-income Scottish postcode area (SIMD decile 1 to 4).

How to apply

First apply for a place on a course at St Andrews. You then receive login details for the 'My Application' portal, complete a short scholarship form there and upload evidence of your household income. Selection is based on your documents alone, with no interview. For the 2026-27 cycle the deadline was 15 April 2026, with results by late May.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is means-tested, not competitive. If your household income is below £34,000 and you meet the fee-status and course conditions, the guaranteed payment is yours. Above that threshold you compete for the non-guaranteed Wardlaw awards, where funding is limited. Applying early and documenting your income clearly gives you the strongest position.