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Students with children

Other funding

Students with children and other dependants

Find out if you are eligible for the following funding.

Special Support Grant

The special support grant is means tested and non-repayable and is available to students who are eligible to receive means-tested benefits such as income support or housing benefit. The maximum rate is £2,984 for the academic year 2012 / 13 (£3,250 if you started your course after 1 September 2012). This grant is not taken into account as income when working out entitlement to means-tested benefits. See the Directgov website for more information.

Parents' Learning Allowance

If you are a full-time home undergraduate student with dependent children you may be eligible for the non-repayable parents’ learning allowance. The maximum entitlement is £1,508 for the academic year, but how much you get depends on your income and that of your partner, spouse and any other dependants. It is not counted as income when assessing your social security benefit entitlement. See the Directgov website for more information.

Childcare Grant

If you are a full-time home undergraduate student with responsibility for a child under the age of 15 (or 17 if s/he has special educational needs) and you use registered or approved childcare, you can apply for the childcare grant. You cannot receive the childcare grant if you claim the childcare element of working tax credits, but you can choose to change your funding from working tax credit to the childcare grant if you wish.

You can get up to 85 percent of your actual childcare costs during term-time and holidays from this grant. Your maximum payment will be:

£148.75 a week if you have one child
£255 a week if you have two or more children.

Your eligibility and the amount you receive will be means-tested and dependent upon the cost of your childcare. You will receive this money on top of the standard student finance package and you do not have to pay it back. Download the Childcare Grant application form (CCG1) from the Directgov website.

It is very important that you do not overestimate your childcare costs. Your National Student Finance Service will request confirmation of your actual costs throughout the academic year and will reassess your entitlement accordingly. If you have been overpaid, they will deduct the overpayment from your future grant entitlement.

Adult Dependant Grant

You may be eligible if you are both of the following.

You are a full-time home undergraduate student.
You have an adult dependant who is wholly or mainly financially dependent on you.

Eligible adult dependants include your spouse or civil partner or if you are 25 and over, a cohabiting partner. Your grant amount will be dependent upon your situation and the income of your dependant. The maximum grant is £2,642 but the amount you receive depends on your situation and the income of your dependant.

Am I able to claim benefits?

Your entitlement to benefits may change when you become a full-time student, as your student income may be regarded as income when your benefits are being calculated. You will find our Guide to Funding for Students with Dependants useful when checking your eligibility.

Access to Learning Fund and Summer Vacation Fund

The University has a limited fund of money to assist students in financial hardship. The Fund has strict eligibility criteria and a standardised assessment procedure, set nationally, which calculates the level of support based on a significant shortfall between annual income and basic expenditure. Assistance from the Fund is only intended to supplement statutory funding where there is a proven additional need.

The University has set aside limited funds to assist students who are unable to work over the summer vacation period due to illness or disability and for those students who are undertaking an unpaid placement. The Fund also assists lone parents with dependent children during the period when there is no benefit entitlement. There is no benefit entitlement from the end of the third term 2012 / 13 to 30 June 2013 and from 1 September until the start of term one 2013 / 14.

Collect an application form from Student Support Services at the following locations: