S6 Resource
S6 Programme
Welcome to the S6 Resource page! This page is full of resources to support you in applying to higher education, applying for funding and tips and advice for taking the next steps. Below are the activities on offer this year in school, resources for each session are accessible by clicking on the icons. Use the menu buttons below to jump to sections of the S6 Page.
Applying to Higher Education
In school presentation.
Your Personal Statement
In school presentation.
Personal Statement Workshop
In school workshop
Personal Statement Review
Online support.
Transitioning to Higher Education
In school presentation. Slides coming soon
Course Choice
Higher Education is learning at college or university at SCQF Level 7 or above. Typically, you study for HNCs and HNDs at college and undergraduate degrees at university.
The UCAS website can give you a good overview of university degrees, while it’s best to go directly to college websites to find out about their courses.
- Check entry requirements- including Nat 5's & required subjects
- Not all institutions offer every course- find out where offers your course choice
- Note key research areas that interest you about the course and save this info to include in your personal statement
Student Chat Via Unibuddy
Dundee & Angus College
UCAS Course Search
Perth UHI
Considerations
When using the above resources consider the following factors that might inform what course you choose:
- What does the course cover?
- How is the course taught?
- How is the course assessed?
- What optional modules are available? Can you choose to specialise in something?
- Are there opportunities to study abroad?
- Are there any placements or field trips included?
Open Days
Choosing a university or college is just as important as finding the right subject. With so many different higher education experiences on offer, figuring out where to apply to can be overwhelming. An Open Day is the best way of getting a real taste of campus life. It’s not just about the academic side – think about what clubs, societies and additional activities you might like to take part in. What are the facilities like? If you are thinking of moving away, could you see yourself living here? Or if you are thinking of commuting, what are the travel options?
As well as getting to see the facilities, an open day is a great opportunity to find out more about the different courses on offer from the people who live and breathe your subject – those who teach and study it, current students and academic staff.
Wherever you decide to study, it’s important to do as much research as possible so you make the choice that is right for you.
Royal Conservatoire
Napier University
Glasgow Caledonian University
Dundee University
Queen Margaret University
University of the Highlands & Islands
Heriot-Watt University
Robert Gordon University
St Andrews University
Abertay University
Glasgow University
Strathclyde University
Aberdeen University
West of Scotland University
Fife College
Edinburgh University
Stirling University
Dundee & Angus College
Applying to Higher Education
Applying to University
- All university applications go through UCAS
- You can apply to 5 choices- except Medicine, Vet Medicine, or Dentistry which are limited to 4 choices + a back-up in a different subject.
- Create an account online and link it to your school using the buzzword provided by your guidance teacher
- Applications cost £28.95, however this is free if you receive free school meals.
- The application has several sections to fill out including: Personal Details, Nationality, Contact information etc.
- Additionally you must complete a personal statement about your experience and attributes that make you a good candidate.
- You can only write 1 personal statement that covers all of your course choices
Applying to College
Colleges in Scotland require you to apply directly to the institution and set their own application requirements. This means that it is important that you do your own research and prepare to apply.
Higher Education is any course SCQF Level 7 or above. Colleges offer HNC & HND courses but some even offer full degree programmes. College applications tend to include your personal details, course choice and a personal statement. However, the personal statement tends to be shorter and less formal than UCAS. Please check with the college directly for advice on personal statements.
Contextual Admissions
Universities recognise that your grades can be influenced by a range of factors. To make the admissions process fairer, they use ‘contextual admissions’. They take into account certain challenges that you may have faced, and may offer reduced entry requirements (sometimes called ‘minimum’ or ‘adjusted’ entry requirements) or give further consideration to your application.
Different institutions use different factors, so make sure you check. Look for information about ‘widening access’ or ‘widening participation’ on university websites.
Some information, like your school or where you live, will be available through the personal details section of an application. Other information may need to be disclosed separately.
These are all positive disclosures that will ensure you are offered tailored support. Providing this information will not negatively affect your application.
Factors that may be considered
- Being a Core Pupil with LIFT OFF
- Attending a school where not many students go on to university
- Living in a priority postcode area (SIMD)
- If you are Care Experienced
- If you are a Young Carer
- If you are Estranged
- Have parents who are/were in the armed forces
- If you are a refugee or asylum seeker
- If you are from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller background
Articulation
Articulation is a pathway between HNC/HND courses at college, into a degree at university. Colleges and Universities work together to ensure the HNC/HND course content is equivalent to year 1 & 2 of university, to minimise any repetition of learning and prepare you to continue your studies through to a full degree.
Key Dates
UCAS 2025 Conservatoire Application Deadline
You can register for a UCAS hub account and link your application to your school, college or centre!
2nd October 2025, 6pm
UCAS Early Deadline
For applications to Oxford / Cambridge, Medicine, Vet Medicine & Dentistry
15th October 2025, 18:00
Most College applications open
Each college sets it’s own deadline so check online
January 2026
UCAS 2025 Equal Consideration Deadline
Application deadline for most course areas- make sure to check your chosen course! Your in school deadline will usually be prior to the winter holiday to allow your teacher time to write your reference.
14th Jan 2025, 18:00
UCAS Extra Opens
UCAS Extra is a service that allows you to apply to additional courses.
26th Feb 2026
UCAS Decisions Response
If you applied through UCAS by the application deadline, this is when universities have to get back to you by.
13th May 2025, 18:00
SAAS Applications Open
Funding applications for tuition fees, student loans & additional financial support
April 2026 (TBC)
Reply to your offers
You must accept or decline your offers by this date.
Beginning of June 2026 (TBC)
SAAS Application Deadline
Submit your funding app by this date to ensure funding for starting your course.
30th June 2026 (TBC)
UCAS Clearing Opens
If you don’t receive a UCAS offer, use clearing to apply to alternative courses or universities.
5th July 2026
Personal Statement
Your personal Statement is the biggest section of your university or college application and is your opportunity to give more context about yourself and your circumstances to support your application.
UCAS format may differ from colleges so please check with college providers for their requirements.
Things to remember in your university personal statement...
- Each question has a minimum 350 characters
- Overall there is a maximum of 4000 characts, across the 3 questions
- This is a reflective piece of writing showing your genuine interest in your future
- Research your choices, reflect on your experience and take time to plan your writing
- Provide details of personal circumstances or challenges you have faced
Personal Statement Tools...
Personal Statement Review Template
Personal Statement Check-list
UCAS personal Statement Builder
My World of Work Skills
LIFT OFF Mindmap template
Personal Statement Review Service...
- You can send up to 2 drafts of your personal statement
- Please read the instructions on saving and sharing your file first
- Your statement will be reviewed by one of our Specialist Development Workers
- Feedback is sent to you via email in 3-5 WORKING days
- Remember you must write a minimum of 350 characters per question and an overall maximum of 4000 characters. This includes spaces & punctuation.
Top Tips...
Maintaining positivity throughout your statement is so important – in your statement you really need to focus on the personal skills, qualities and attributes that make you an ideal candidate for Higher Education.
Don’t be tempted to share or copy statements – all are passed through a plagiarism detection software.
Remember, use the LIFT OFF formula from our previous session to help you write an original personal statement.
This is VERY important – you don’t have a lot of space, so tick to the point!
TOP TIP: try removing any reference to the subject you are applying for from your statement. If it’s possible for someone to still guess the subject, your statement is clearly maintaining relevance throughout. If not, it might be worth doing another edit to focus your writing a bit more.
Let others read your personal statement and be open to help and advice.
Perhaps let a subject teacher read your statement, particularly if you are applying to study that subject at college/university.
Transitioning to Higher Education
Once you have completed your applications you will should start to think about your next steps and prepare yourself to transition into Higher Education. Things to think about:
- Consider all your options before making a decision
- Funding your studies
- Accomodation options
- Support available at your chosen institution
Types of offer
If you have applied for higher education courses at university or college by the deadline the institutions are now considering your applications and deciding whether to offer you a place. This can take different length of time depending on the course and where you applied, so don’t panic if your friends have received offers but you haven’t heard yet- be patient!
If you applied by the UCAS equal consideration deadline you will have a decision from the universities by 14th May 2026. Make sure to check on the UCAS portal frequently, you may receive offers that have a deadline to respond to or submit more information.
For courses that include interviews, auditions or portfolio submissions as part of their application, you might get an invitation to one of these before getting to the offer-making stage.
Examples include portfolios of work for Art & Design courses, interviews for some college courses as well as Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Teaching, and auditions for performance-based courses. You should get more information via email. Make sure you read it through carefully, take note of any deadlines and try to be well-prepared.
Have a look at the UCAS Conservatoire’s audition advice leaflet. It’s focussed on auditions for Conservatoires, but the advice is relevant to other auditions too!
UCAS and My WoW have good advice on preparing for interviews (university and college interviews respectively).
Congratulations! This means you have been offered a place on the course. If this is where you want to go, you won’t need to do anything other than accept the offer.
Congratulations! You have been offered a place on the course, but you will need to meet some entry requirements. These could be specific grades and qualifications that you need to achieve, obtaining a disclosure for working with children, or it could be passing a summer school. The offer details should tell you what you need to achieve to get in.
Unfortunately you have not been offered a place on the course. Try not to fret -you still have plenty of options. See our FAQs for more information.
If you see this on UCAS it means that the course you applied for is no longer running. It doesn’t happen very often and you should be able to add an alternative course instead. It might be that too few people applied, key teaching staff left, or there isn’t enough funding to run the course.
Colleges are more likely to email you if a course is withdrawn, as you apply directly to them.
Replying to offers on UCAS
You have firmly accepted this unconditional offer – this is where you will be going when the course starts! You can’t go back and change your mind later.
You are firmly accepting this conditional offer. However, you get an insurance choice in case you do not meet those conditions.
You have accepted this as an insurance choice. This is your back-up option if you don’t meet the conditions of your conditional firm offer. Make sure this has lower or different entry requirements to your conditional offer!
You must decline all the other offers.
You can only study one full time course at higher education, so make sure you wait until you hear back from all your choices before making any decisions.
Some colleges consider your applications one at a time, starting with the first submitted. If you applied to more than one course at the same college, but the first one you applied for isn’t your top choice, let the college know so that they can prioritise the one you want.
On UCAS: If you have an insurance choice, make sure it’s a lower offer than your conditional firm choice!
If you’re lucky enough to have multiple offers but are struggling to decide, use our ‘choosing the right course’ info below. Keep an eye out for ‘offer holder’ events. These are a bit like Open Days and are a good chance to ask more about the course and university or college.
Funding your studies
- Tuition Fees for Scottish Students are paid by the Scottish Government but you still need to apply for this funding for HNC/D and undergraduate degree courses.
- Additionally you can apply for a bursary or loan to cover your living expenses.
- You don't have to take out a student loan but it is designed to only be paid back once you are earning enough to do so.
- All Student funding in Scotland is provided by SAAS
- SAAS Applications open in April and you must apply prior to June 30th to ensure your funding is in place for your course starting in the autumn.
Bursaries, Scholarships & Grants
- These are different words for funding you do not need to repay after your studies
- There is a variety of different eligibility criteria that is set by each individual fund, such as being from a particular town or region, your ethnicity or your academic achievement.
- Some are provided by the college or university, so be sure to check out the institutions on funding, usually found online
- The money can come from charities, trusts funds or individual institutions
- Some scholarship programmes offer more than just financial assistance, for example student mentoring or internship programmes.
SAAS
Funding information
UCAS Scholarship and Grant Information
Funding Calculator
Register of Education Endowments
Set up a SAAS account when they open in April. You don’t need to wait for your exam results, even if you have a conditional offer. It’s easy to change your SAAS application online.
If you do take out a loan from SAAS to support your living costs while studying, remember it’s a much better deal than a regular bank loan. You will only start paying it back once you are finished and earning above a certain amount.
SAAS can assess your income to see if you are eligible for a bursary or loan, or a combination. If you are a ‘young student’, they look at your parents’ or carers’ income, not at anything you might get from a part-time job.
Check university and college websites to see if you are eligible to apply for extra funding including scholarships and bursaries.
Accommodation
There are lots of different types of student accommodation options.
- Institution halls of residence- where students from 1 uni live together in apartments. Typically these have shared living, kitchen and bathroom facilities and all services are included. Some halls even provide meal packages!
- Private rented accommodation- great option if you have a group of friends studying at the same institution or in the same city but remember you are responsible for paying utilities in addition to your rent.
- Private halls of residence- where students from multiple unis/colleges live together in apartments similar to institutional halls of residence.
- Stay at home- one of the more affordable options but remember to factor in the cost and time of transport.
Looking for more information?
UCAS Student Chat
Prepare yourself to study at University
UCAS undergraduate accommodation
UCAS support information
Disabled Students information
Support Toolkit
Types of student support
- Academic support - help with your studies
- Help with accommodation or housing
- Financial support - extra funding or money advice
- Pastoral & religious support
- Health, including mental health
- Careers - jobs while studying, future career advice
- Disability services - get in touch before you start to make sure the right support is in place
These can all be found by researching on the college or university websites. The Student’s Association or Student Union is a good place to start – they usually have advocacy and support groups run by students, for students.
Did you know you can request support from institutions before you even start as a student? Once you have an offer reach out to the institution and let them know what help you require to be a successful student!
Support for students with individual needs
For some students, their individual circumstances can have a significant impact on their decision to go to university or college and on their experience when they are there. Below are practical tips and useful resources to consider before, during and after you make an application to Higher Education.
Simply click the tab more information:
Many universities and colleges support in place to help students with caring responsibilities. If you are responsible for providing unpaid care to a family member, partner or friend, you may be able receive extra support during your studies.
If you are aged 16-25 and have caring responsibilities, you are considered to be a ‘young adult carer’.
What support is available?
If you are balancing your studies with the responsibility of caring for another person, this can be challenging. To help you manage this many universities and colleges have put support in place. This can include:
- Academic help – flexible deadlines, managing workload, priority access to academic or career opportunities.
- Financial help – bursaries and other financial support. You might be eligible for a scholarship, grant or bursary.
- Health and Wellbeing support – student support services on campus, induction days and visits, giving you a chance to discuss your support needs
The help varies between each institution, so do your research before you apply. Each website will provide more details, but you can always contact the student services team directly to find out more.
Top tips:
Do your research – it’s a good idea to find out what support is available before you make your final decision.
Self-declare – tell the college/university about your circumstances. Knowing a prospective student has caring responsibilities allows them to put support in place, to make sure you get the most from your university experience. There are several ways you can tell the institution about your circumstances:
- Personal statement (see below)
- With your permission, your referee can mention your circumstances in the reference.
- Self-declare in the application – you can state that you have caring responsibilities in the ‘More about You’ section on UCAS.
- Contact the institution directly – the contact details for student services will be on their website.
Use your personal statement – highlight the skills, strengths, and positive attributes your caring responsibility has allowed you to develop.
More information and help:
If you’re a refugee or asylum seeker applying to higher education, there may be support available to help you with finance and your studies. It is a good idea to contact course providers before you apply, to discuss if they can offer you support, and what this might be.
Tuition fees and financial help:
The financial help available will depend on your immigration status and where you live (your residential status) – keep updated on the UKCISA website for more information.
Top tips:
Do your research – it’s a good idea to find out what support is available before you make your final decision.
Self-declare – tell the college/university about your circumstances. There are several ways you can tell the institution about your circumstances:
- Personal statement (see below)
- With your permission, your referee can mention your circumstances in the reference.
- Self-declare in the application – you can state that you are an asylum seeker or refugee in the ‘More about You’ section on UCAS.
- Contact the institution directly – the contact details for student services will be on their website.
Use your personal statement – highlight the skills, strengths, and positive attributes your situation has allowed you to develop.
More information and help:
Every year, over 60,000 students with a physical and/or mental health condition, long-term illness, or learning difference apply through UCAS to study at a university or college in the UK, and access a range of support available to help with their studies, day-to-day activities, travel, or lifestyle.
Don’t forget to tell the university or college about your circumstances in your application – this helps to put the support in place ready for your arrival. This information is not used to make a decision on your application and it is only shared with those involved in supporting you, or making the arrangements for your support.
Do your research:
Research is vital to making your choices and there is lots to think about. Never be put off by any assumptions as most course can be made accessible with the appropriate support.
The provider’s website will be your starting point. There should be advice about learning and assessment methods, support provided, and the contact details for student support services.
Open Days:
Open Days are a valuable way to find out about a university or college first-hand – you can tour the facilities, speak to staff and current students, and really get a feel for whether you would like to study there. UCAS has a GUIDE on how to prepare for open days and visits if you have a disability.
Self-declaring:
Self-declaring in your application will ensure that the right support is in place. The information you provide is only used by student services team to arrange the support you may need before you arrive and is never used to make an academic judgment on your application. You can include details about any physical/mental health conditions or learning differences in the ‘More About You’ section on UCAS.
We recommend getting in touch with the college or university once you have accepted an offer to discuss the arrangements for your arrival. It’s is important to note that you are in full control of your support and if you decide you don’t need it, you don’t have to use it.
If you’re care experienced and applying to Higher Education, there’s support available to help you with finance, settling in, and accommodation.
This information is confidential and won’t be used against you! It lets the right person at the college or university know that you might need financial or other support, and can help you put that in place before you start your course.
Top tips:
Do your research – it’s a good idea to find out what support is available before you make your final decision.
Self-declare – tell the college/university that you are care experienced. There are several ways you can tell the institution:
- Personal statement
- With your permission, your referee can mention your circumstances in the reference.
- Self-declare in the application – you can state that you are care experienced in the ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ section on UCAS.
- Contact the institution directly – the contact details for student services will be on their website.
Scholarships, Grants and Bursaries – if you’ve spent time in care, there are specific scholarships, grants, and bursaries available to support you at university – check institution websites for their specific funding information. SAAS also have a Care Experienced Student Bursary – see HERE.
More information and help:
Universities and colleges welcome students from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience. Students whose parent(s) or carer(s) are current or former UK Armed Forces personnel may be able to get extra support from their chosen college or university.
Institutions understand that service children may experience disruption to their education, or may have been restricted in their course choices. They also take into consideration that young people can face additional challenges when a parent or carer is deployed. It is important to let them know your circumstances as it allows them to consider your academic achievements in context.
Access additional support:
Service children often develop highly valued, unique skills and strengths as a result of their circumstances, such as being an independent learner, or being able to adapt to different situations quickly.
You may be able to access additional support this can include financial help, mentoring, and study support.
Self-declare – tell the college/university that your parents or carers are/were in the armed forces. There are several ways you can tell the institution:
- Personal statement
- With your permission, your referee can mention your circumstances in the reference.
- Self-declare in the application – you can state that your parent(s) or carer(s) have been or are in the Armed Forces in the ‘More about you’ section on UCAS.
- Contact the institution directly – the contact details for student services will be on their website.
More information and help:
Please contact LIFT OFF if you have any questions related to your individual needs.
FAQs
For courses starting September 2026:
£28.95 is the fee for all 2024 undergraduate applications. You will be able to make up to 5 course choices to apply for. However, if you are in receipt of Free School Meals this is FREE! Make sure to check the box in your application.
To maximise your chances of receiving an offer, LIFT OFF recommend using all 5 course choices (if possible).
Entry requirements vary between universities and colleges. Check institution websites for the most up-to-date and accurate entry requirements. Look carefully as there may be subject-specific requirements and N5s.
If you are unsure you meet the University’s entry criteria, it is best to contact their admissions team for further guidance.
It is important that your application contains a Personal Statement that is focused and relevant to the course and/or career you are interested in. For example, if you were to apply to Physics and Drama: it would be difficult to write a statement which blends your experiences, skills and knowledge for both subjects!
In this instance, you may also want to explore if one of your passions can be done as an extracurricular or additional module.
Some universities offer degree flexibility. For example, Stirling University have over 220 single and combined courses to choose from.
The simple answer… NO. You do not have to study at a University in Scotland.
However, bear in mind that in Scotland, you do not have to pay tuition fees. Instead, you apply for government funding through SAAS to pay your fees and these are paid directly to the institution.
If you choose to go to a university outside Scotland, SAAS can give you a student loan to pay the tuition fees, but you will need to pay this back once you have graduated and are earning above a certain amount.
If you are applying through a school, your reference will be written for you by a teacher or tutor who knows you.
You won’t have access to this, so you won’t need to do anything for it, but you can request to read the reference.
If there are any extenuating or personal circumstances that you think are important, you can discuss including these in the reference with your referee.
If you don’t receive any offers – don’t panic! There are lots of options for you. If your goal is university study, remember you can start some courses at college, then move on to university. See our section on Articulation above.
If you don’t have any offers through UCAS, you can also use UCAS Extra and later in the year, UCAS Clearing. These are both ways for universities to fill up any places that they have left. You can search for available courses and apply for one at a time. This is also an option if you change your mind about what you want to do.
Finally, if you are unsuccessful this year, there is nothing to stop you applying again next year! If you choose to do this, it’s a good idea to keep in touch with a school teacher who will be happy to write a reference for you.
Contact Us
As much information as this resource contains, we know sometimes you have specific questions that you would like to ask. The LIFT OFF team are here to help and would love to hear from you!
You can also arrange a meeting to chat with one of the LIFT OFF team. Meetings can be on the phone, in school, or online. Just use the contact form to arrange a meeting.
