On Thursday 6th of May 2021 elections take place to elect representatives to the Scottish Parliament. You can vote if you are aged 16 and over on the date of the election

The following are eligible to vote in the Scottish Parliament elections:

If you are registered to vote in Scotland and will be 16 or over on Thursday 6 May, and are:
• a British or Irish citizen
• a Commonwealth citizen who has leave to remain in the UK, or does not require such leave
• a citizen of a European Union country
• a qualifying foreign national who has permission to enter or remain in the UK, or who does not need such permission

You must be registered to vote by midnight on Monday 19 April 2021 to vote in this election.

If you’ve never registered or have recently moved house, register to vote online at www.gov.uk/registertovote

or call 0800 3 280 280 for more information.

You can find out more here:

The Scottish Parliament decides many issues which directly affect you.

For example:

NHS Prescriptions are FREE

In Scotland NHS medical prescriptions are FREE. In England most adults have to pay for their medicines.

IN ENGLAND

Some items are always free, including contraceptives and medicines prescribed for hospital inpatients.

The current prescription charge is £9.35 per item.

A prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) could save you money on NHS prescription costs:

a 3-month PPC costs £30.25

a 12-month PPC is £108.10 NHS Prescription Charges

NO STUDENT FEES

If you are a student who has lived in Scotland for 3 years or more, your university fees will be paid for you. You apply to the Scottish Students Awards Agency who will pay the full charge of  up to £1,820 if you are eligible.

At English and Northern Irish universities, you can be charged up to £9,250 per year for tuition. Welsh universities can charge up to £9,000. If you’re taking an accelerated degree at a publicly-funded university in England, fees can be up to £11,100, but these courses take less time to complete than the usual degree. You don’t have to pay tuition fees upfront. Students need to apply online to SAAS (and reapply every year) for a loan to help with your fees.

In 2020–21, Scottish students can also get some financial support if attending certain institutions in the Republic of Ireland or five universities in Europe: University of Southern Denmark, Malmo University in Sweden, Rhein Waal University in Germany, and University of Groningen and Maastricht University in the Netherlands. University tuition fees and financial support in Scotland

There are a whole range of funds supporting students at all levels of study in Scotland including those who wish to apply for a Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary (NMSB). The bursary is not income assessed.

You can find all the information about the support you can get in Scotland about funding here: Student Awards Agency Scotland

Two very important examples of how the Scottish Parliament directly affects the way you live in Scotland.

You will have two ballot papers for the Scottish Parliament elections. You can find out about them here: Scottish Parliament Election: Highlands and Islands Regional Candidates