The Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), an agency of the Scottish government that provides scholarships and grants for university students, has selected McLean, Va.-based Appian as its platform provider for a modernization program focused on automating back-end administrative processes.
The initiative is intended to replace aging infrastructure that supports student funding services across Scotland, where SAAS administers financial support for approximately 160,000 higher education students.
The program will leverage Appian’s process automation platform to support a new case management and digital services environment. The goal is to streamline application workflows, improve case handling, and enable more flexible responses to policy changes and user needs.
SAAS indicated that the modernization effort is part of a broader organizational transformation focused on long-term sustainability, service resilience, and governance. The new system is expected to be delivered in phases, with initial improvements targeted for 2027 and full rollout extending through 2030.
“Replacing our core systems is essential for safeguarding the future of student support in Scotland,” said Catherine Topley, Chief Executive of SAAS.
While no immediate changes to student-facing services are expected, the agency said the new platform will ultimately support simpler digital journeys and faster processing times, alongside stronger data security and operational resilience.