Free online courses for Scotland
Free online short courses to help you upskill and reskill.
Thanks to the support of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA) and Scottish Government, we’re able to offer a limited number of funded places on a range of online short courses.
Use our online courses to:
- add in-demand skills to your CV
- gain credits towards postgraduate qualifications
- fit university study around full-time work.
You can apply if you are:
- domiciled in Scotland (Scotland is your primary place of residence).
You’re welcome to apply even if you’ve received funding in previous years.
More funded places are coming in 2023
We’ll be releasing more government-funded course places in phases from winter 2023.
Sign up for free online course alerts
Register and we’ll email you as soon as our next round of funded courses is confirmed, so you can be among the first to apply.
Be the first to hear about fundingWhen to apply for a funded place
We’re releasing government-funded places in phases throughout 2023 and 2024:
- Phase One is now closed.
- Phase Two – opens in December 2023.
- Phase Three – opens in spring 2024.
Courses you can study for free right now
In the meantime, you might be interested in these online short courses that are always free:
What it’s like to study online with the University of Aberdeen
We’ve been delivering online and distance learning for decades.
We support thousands of online students each year. People join us from all over the world, from all walks of life, to enjoy flexible lifelong learning that works for them.
Where the funding comes from
Funding for these course places is being provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA) with support from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray.
More about the SFC
The SFC and Scottish Government are providing millions of pounds across Scottish universities and regions this academic year to upskill Scotland’s workforce. It’s providing this funding to help universities:
- tackle skills gaps identified in the Scottish economy
- provide more agile support for employees and employers to upskill and reskill
- fund individuals made unemployed, facing unemployment, or whose jobs are at risk as a result of Covid-19 and/or Brexit
- support sectors that have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and, through upskilling and reskilling interventions, move workers into growing sectors
- support the transition to net-zero by enabling more people to access opportunities in the emerging green jobs sector
- increase the number of people with advanced digital skills
- provide flexible learning options so that more people can learn while they work.
Sign up for free online course alerts
Register and we’ll email you as soon as our next round of funded courses is confirmed, so you can be among the first to apply.
Be the first to hear about funding