Heading off to uni is a big deal, and you’re going to have lots of questions. To be honest, it’d be pretty impressive if there weren’t at least a couple things you wanted to ask us about before arriving. That’s why we encourage all University of Stirling applicants and offer holders to get in touch with anything and everything they’d like to know about Stirling.
We’re always here to help, and it’s our job to give you all the information you need to prepare yourself for starting your next big adventure.
But to save you some time and energy, we’ve rounded up a few of the top questions our incoming offer holders have been asking about this year, and we’ve done our best to point fellow freshers in the right direction.
We hope this helps! But don’t forget: if you’ve got any questions that we haven’t covered below, you can get in touch with our team 24/7. It’s literally our job to answer your questions, and so we’d feel a bit lost if you started running out of things to ask us about.
Funding
Here are a couple of key FAQs we’ve been getting about student finance:
When should you apply for a SAAS loan?
Simply put: ASAP. Eligible students can apply for funding support from the Student Awards Agency For Scotland (SAAS) from April every year.
To ensure your application is processed in time for the start of the semester, SAAS advises you apply for funding as soon as you’ve applied for your course. Do not wait for your exam results – because if you don’t get a place on your chosen course, you can always change or cancel your application online at a later date.
The quickest and easiest way to apply is online using your SAAS account, and you can register for an account on the SAAS website.
Are EU offer holders still eligible for tuition fee support?
Yes. The Scottish government has confirmed EU students starting their degree in Scotland in both 2019 and 2020 will continue to be eligible for Scottish/EU fee status and will retain that status for the duration of their studies.
Translation: EU students enrolling at Stirling in 2019 and 2020 will be eligible for tuition fee support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) – but as per above, you’ve got to apply separately for each year of study.
Making changes to your offer
Have questions about making changes to your offer? Here are some of the questions we’ve been receiving lately:
What should you do if you’d like to defer an offer until next year?
Applicants who’ve been offered a place to study at Stirling this year can apply to defer their offer to the next academic year by contacting Admissions & Access.
If permission is granted to defer, it’ll only be granted for one academic year. After that, applicants will need to re-apply to defer again. For more information, check out our Admissions Policy or get in touch with our Admissions Team.
What should you do if your contact email address has changed since applying?
Don’t sweat it. If you’re still at the application stage, simply get in touch with our Admissions Team, explain the situation and we’ll be able to update your student information.
How long will it take for your Portal account take to change your student status after you’ve accepted your offer?
Once you’ve accepted your offer, the acceptance will show in your Applicant Portal within 48 hours maximum (but usually within 24 hours).
Questions about your course
Here are a few of the top FAQs we keep getting about starting your course:
What is the Portal?
The Portal is going to be your new best friend at Stirling. This is our intuitive University intranet that’s been specially designed to help students stay up-to-date on what’s going on across campus, manage their coursework, key dates and so much more. You’ll also need to use the Portal to select course modules and apply for accommodation before arrival.
For help on discovering your My Portal account, we’ve created a step-by-step guide.
If you need extra help, contact the Information Centre at infocentre@stir.ac.uk (quoting your student registration number).
How can you access your module codes for the timetable generator?
If you want help getting your schedule in order for September, our handy My Timetable tool on the Portal will automatically generate your weekly timetables based on the modules you’re taking.
But in order to generate your timetable, you’ll need to know the code for each module you’ve signed up for. Head to your relevant faculty induction page in order to find the corresponding module codes for your course.
Please note that the academic teaching timetable for September 2019 will be available on or around 6 August 2019. After that, finding your module codes and creating your timetable should be a walk in the park – but if you need any help, just get in touch.
How early in the morning are your classes going to be?
We don’t just get asked this question because everybody loves a lie in. If you’re planning on commuting to Stirling from a nearby town and city, it only makes sense you’d want to start planning travel arrangements as soon as possible.
Every timetable will be different – but generally speaking, lectures, seminars or labs begin anywhere from 9am onwards. You won’t typically have much on before 9am.
That being said, you may occasionally need to come in earlier for particular classes, workshops, fieldwork or placements. You should head to your relevant faculty induction page to find out more about your upcoming timetable and any special requirements around timings or schedules.
Are modules going to be the same for Nursing (Adult) and Nursing (Mental Health) in Year 1?
Yes. To make sure our student nurses gain a holistic understating of the healthcare profession, students from both courses will follow the same course structure in terms of compulsory modules for Semesters 1 and 2. After that, students will start to dig into different modules based on their chosen specialism.
Accommodation
Got questions about student accommodation? Here are the answers to some of our top FAQs:
From what date can you move into University-managed accommodation?
All new undergraduate (and postgraduate) students can arrive anytime from Saturday 7 September 2019 onwards. If you’re part of one of our integrated courses with Forth Valley College, you can arrive anytime from Saturday 24 August 2019 onwards.
Can you apply for University-managed accommodation if you’ve selected Stirling as your ‘Insurance’ choice on UCAS?
Unfortunately, you’ll be unable to apply for student accommodation here at the University of Stirling until you’ve confirmed us as your ‘Firm’ choice. It doesn’t matter whether your offer is Conditional or Unconditional – either way you’ll be able to apply online via the Portal after confirming Stirling as your ‘Firm’ choice.
What’s the difference between different University-managed accommodation options?
We’ve got a wide range of University-managed accommodation on campus, in Stirling city centre and in nearby Bridge of Allan – with nearly 3,000 rooms available across 19 properties depending on your taste, budget and accessibility requirements.
To compare each available student residence and track down the one that’s perfect for you, check out our Accommodation Finder. It will show you detailed breakdowns of each available residence based on location, amenities, accessibility, price per week and more.
Should you stay in University-managed accommodation if you already live nearby?
Here at Stirling, we guarantee an offer of University-managed accommodation to all new eligible undergraduates who apply by the advertised deadline – but if you already live within 20 miles of campus, please be aware that we aren’t going to be able to guarantee you an offer of accommodation. That being said, you’re still encouraged to apply and we’ll do our absolute best to find you a place!
If you are able to secure an accommodation offer, there are lots of things you should bear in mind when trying to choose whether you’d like to stay on campus or not. For help weighing the pros and cons, you should read our Student’s Guide to UofStirling Accommodation.
Can you stay in University-managed accommodation over the summer period?
Yes. Accommodation Services offer some accommodation options during summer vacation. Information about summer accommodation is typically available from April onwards from Accommodation Services and via the information bulletin.
For more information, contact Accommodation Services.
Still have questions?
If you’ve worked your way through our FAQs and still have something you’d like to ask, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re happy to help and we can’t wait to welcome you onto campus in September!