Childcare Grants & Parents' Learning Allowance

Choosing to attend higher education isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. As we all know, students leave university heavily in debt and if you have children then getting into debt would be the last thing you want. There is, however, financial help available in the form of a Childcare grant, the Parents’ Learning Allowance, the Access to Learning Fund and Child Tax Credit.

Childcare Grant

This type of funding is available to full-time students that have dependable children to help with the cost of childcare, whether that be a nanny or nursery, during term time and holidays. The added benefit of this is that the grant doesn’t have to be paid back.

How much you receive is based on you income and that of your dependents and the total cost of the childcare. To be eligible for the childcare grant, you must be a full-time student, have dependent children that are under the age of 15 or have dependent children under the age of 17 that have special needs. However, if you are in receipt of Working Tax Credit, you won’t be eligible for the Childcare grant as well.

If you are applying for this grant, then you are required to use specific forms of childcare that qualify for the grant. This includes those on the Ofsted Childcare Register, those approved under the Childcare Approval Scheme, a care worker registered with the National Care Standards Committee or a foster carer.

You can also apply for the grant if your child is to be cared for by an after school club, or an out-of-hours club run by your local authority.

Parents’ Learning Allowance

Not only are tuition fees and living costs expensive when you are a full-time student, but there is the added cost of course materials, such as books. This is an extra element of funding and not included in your student loan, which also means that you don’t have to pay it back.

As with most other grants, the amount you receive from the Parents’ Learning Allowance depends on your household income. The maximum available to each individual is £1,470 per year and it is also worth bearing in mind that you can apply for this as well as the Childcare grant.

The process of applying to universities is a complicated one, and then to have to go through the application for a student loan will obviously put applying for grants on the back-burner for many. But, unlike other things that have to be done prior to you starting your course, both of these grants can be applied for during your course.

Access to Learning Fund

If you are a student on a low income and run into financial difficulties, then you may be eligible for the Access to Learning Fund. This is distributed at the discretion of the University or college, but those students that have children, particularly single parents, are a priority.

The Access to Learning Fund is supplied on top of your student finance package and universities expect you to have already applied for a student loan, grant or bursary. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to pay it back.

Child Tax Credit

Any other grants you have received won’t be counted if you apply to the HM Revenue and Customs for Child Tax Credit, but the amount you receive is calculate through your personal circumstances and income.