About the Dental Student Support Grant
Dental students in Scotland can apply for a grant of £4,000 a year to help with study costs. This is the Dental Student Support Grant (DSSG).
NHS Scotland tie-in
The grant aims to address the shortage of NHS dentists in Scotland.
If you are eligible for and receive the grant, you must work for NHS Scotland after graduation as a dentist. For each year you get grant funding, you must work the same number of years for NHS Scotland.
For example, if you claim the grant for 4 years, you must work for NHS Scotland for 4 years. During this time, at least 80% of the money you earn must come from NHS Scotland.
Commitment period
Any Vocational Training (VT) you do in Scotland counts towards the NHS tie-in period. The same is true for Vocational Dental Practitioner (VDP) training.
Your commitment period must begin no later than 14 months after the date of graduation and must be continuous.
If you are unable to work continuously, you must notify NES during the absence period. For example, you must notify them if you take maternity, paternity or sick leave. You must notify NES again when you return to work to fulfil the rest of your commitment period.
If you work part time during the commitment period
You must still commit to 12 full time reckonable or accountable months in NHS dentistry in Scotland for each year you get the grant. For example, a student that works 0.5 FTE (full time hours) would have to work for 24 months.
Repaying the Dental Student Support Grant
You may have to repay some or all of the grant if you do not meet the grant's conditions.
If you leave your course early
If you withdraw from your course, you must repay the grant that you received for that year. You do not have to repay the full amount at once.
For example, if you got a grant of £4,000 in year 2 and 3 of your course and leave the course in year 3, you must repay £4,000.
If you do not work for NHS Scotland for the agreed period
You must repay part or all of the grant if you do not work for NHS Scotland for the agreed amount of time.
The amount you repay depends on how long you worked for NHS Scotland. If you did not work for them at all, you must repay the full grant you got while studying.
You can extend your service with NHS Scotland if there are exceptional circumstances. For example, you can complete it over a longer time if you:
- have a long-term illness
- take an NHS career break
- go on maternity leave
- are doing voluntary work
Returning to full-time higher education does not count as an exceptional circumstance.