Eligibility

I was born in the Isle of Man and lived and went to school there until I was 11. Then I moved internationally with my mum who is a teacher. I have lived internationally for the last 7 years. (My dad stayed in Scotland and I visit him regularly.) My mum is English and my dad is Scottish. We are all UK nationals. I have been given a conditional offer from Edinburgh university and they awarded me Scottish status with Scottish fees! Obviously we were super happy about that as we were not expecting that at all. The problem is now, I'm a bit confused about how to apply for a student loan. My dad is unemployed due to a disability and my mum's salary alone is not enough to pay my accommodation and living costs for the next 4 years. Both the SAAS (Scottish Student finance people) and the SFE (Student Finance England) stipulate very clearly that you have to have been living in Scotland/the rest of the UK for at least 3 years prior to starting the course. Does anybody know if there is any way around this? Has anyone been in a similar situation? Are there any companies/links anyone has for places that may be able to help with this? Perhaps there are other companies that will give loans to students, for example? I don't think I can afford to go to university without any form of financial assistance.

Hi there, when is your course due to start? Where have you been living for the 3 years prior to the start of your course? Does your mother live in the UK or overseas? Thanks, Karen

Thanks for the response. Me and my mum live in thailand and have done for the last 4 years. The course is due to start in September this year.

In order for the team to review your eligibility you would need to submit an application for the team to review. Thanks, Karen

Should i apply through the SAAS or through SFE?