What could count toward financial requirements for UK student visa applications? Most people who apply for grad studies outside their country of residence are relying on scholarships for their tuition and funding for their cost of living through being research or teaching assistants at the universities to which they are applying.


Do scholarships count toward the financial requirements of UK student visa applications?
Do expected salaries from research or teaching assistantships count?


If expected salaries from assistantships don't count in the UK, how else might potential students be funded?

The only things that come to mind are:


Staying with relatives in the country
Being that rich (through parents' money?)
Loans for the first year


Which of those could count toward the financial requirements?
This can be found on the current guidance document issued by UKVI for student visas. The guidance explains the money can be yours or your parents and should be:


cash funds in the bank (this includes savings accounts and current accounts even when notice must be given); or
a loan letter (the loan must be provided by your national government, state or regional government, or by a government sponsored student loan company or be part of an academic or educational loans scheme); or
official financial or government sponsorship available to you.


It continues stating:


  Other accounts or financial instruments such as shares, bonds, overdrafts, credit cards and pension funds are not acceptable, regardless of notice period.


Of course, you should really make sure to look at the latest guidance document in full.