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Dental Student Support Grant (DSSG)

Last updated: 20 March 2019

From September 2017, dental students in Scotland can apply for a grant of £4,000 a year to help with the cost of their studies. This is called the Dental Student Support Grant (DSSG).

Who can apply?

You can apply for a DSSG if you:

  • are enrolled for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) at Aberdeen, Dundee or Glasgow University
  • have an annual household income of less than £34,000 per year
  • are allowed to live and work in Scotland after graduation

If you started your BDS course in or before September 2016

You can't apply for a DSSG but you can apply for a Dental Undergraduate Bursary Scheme (DUBS).

Before you apply

If you get a DSSG, you must agree to work for the NHS in Scotland for 1 year for each year you get a grant.

DSSG grants received Years you'll need to work in the NHS
1 grant 1 year
2 grants 2 years
3 grants 3 years
4 grants 4 years

You'll also need to:

  • start work within one year of your graduation
  • make sure 80% of your earnings are from NHS work
  • pay back any grant you get if you withdraw from your course
If you don't complete the time you need to work within the NHS after graduation, you'll have to pay back some or all of the grant you received.

When to apply

When you apply depends on which University you attend:

University Year you can first apply for a DSSG First application date
Aberdeen First by 31 December 2017
Dundee Second by 31 December 2018
Glasgow Second by 31 December 2018

How to apply

You must apply for a DSSG every year.

To apply for a DSSG:

1. Application form

Complete the DSSG application form.

2. Get copies of your supporting documents

Find out what documents you need to supply with your application.

3. Sign the DSSG contract

Read and sign the DSSG contract.

4. Send information to your University

Send the following documents to your University by 31 December each year you want to apply for a grant:

  • completed application form
  • supporting documents
  • signed DSSG contract

Where to send your forms

When your application is ready, send it to the University you'll be applying to:

Claiming a grant for a repeated year

If you've had to repeat a year of your studies for personal reasons, you may be able to apply for a repeat year of your DSSG grant.

Each application is assessed individually and you're not guaranteed to get funding.

How to apply for a repeat year of DSSG funding

To apply for a repeat year of your grant, you must complete the full application process and an extenuating circumstances application form.