Paying for Childcare - Help for Students
Further Education
£32 million is available through the Learner Support Scheme to help students with childcare costs. Priority is given to single parents and those on low incomes, and the fund can be used to support the costs of any registered childcare.
Discretionary Support Funds
Discretionary Support Funds can help students at further education colleges with the costs of books, equipment, transport, and accommodation and can also be used to help pay childcare costs. To find out more and to apply for the Learner Support Fund contact the Student Support or Welfare Officer at the college. If the student is in the Sixth Form, contact their Local Education Authority. The average grant each student will receive is about £1,300 each year. It should not affect the level of benefits that a student is entitled to.
Contact and resources:
Speak to your student support or welfare officer, or visit the DirectGov website.
Higher Education
Help with childcare costs for higher education students. Students with children can receive:
- A bursary of up to £1000 that they do not have to pay back
- Hardship loans
- Access to Learning Funds of up £1,000
- Child Tax Credit
Higher-education students who are parents are eligible for a Childcare Grant based on their financial circumstances. The grant is up to £100 a week for each child. The grant pays a percentage of the costs of childcare and is paid for 52 weeks of the year for children up to the age of 14 (up to 16 for children with special needs). The Childcare Grant is for students with dependent children. The grant will now pay a set rate of 85% of actual childcare costs throughout the whole year with:
- 85% of childcare costs up to £100 a week for one child (up to £5,967 maximum)
- 85% of childcare costs up to £150 a week for two or more children (up to £8,840 maximum)
Contacts and resources:
Student Support - for students with Children
NHS Students
There is a childcare allowance for NHS-funded students to help with childcare costs during their studies. Parents who are interested in becoming nurses, midwives or physiotherapists will know that the NHS can make a significant contribution to childcare costs.
Under the scheme up to 85% of childcare costs will be met, helping around 6,000 students a year. Up to £114 per week for students with one child or £170 per week for two or more children could be available. The allowance is means tested.
This funding will help NHS students who face difficulties when training due to increased financial commitments, including childcare costs. Help with childcare costs will be for children under 15 and under 17 if the child has special needs.
Contact and resources:
Students can check their eligibility for help with childcare costs by calling 0845 358 6655, or go to www.nhsstudentgrants.co.uk.
There are additional types of funding that students may be eligible for. These include:
Educational Trusts/Charities
Limited funding may be available through these for individual students. Your local or college library may be able to help you with details of organisations that offer trusts and funds.
Useful publications that carry information on trusts and funds that you can look out for in libraries are:
* Educational Grants Directory (published by the Directory of Social Change)
* The Grants Register (published by Macmillan Reference Limited)
* Charities Digest (published by Waterlow Information Services).
The Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) offers guidance and advice on funding for those studying in post-16 education in the UK. EGAS operates nationally providing comprehensive advice and information on sources of funding available for post-16 education and training including loans, grants, benefits, access funds, hardship funds, bursaries and charitable trusts.
Contact and resources:
Educational Grants Advisory Service.
Career Development Loans
This loan is aimed at students aged 18 and above who are doing a vocational course (education or training courses where you learn skills specific to a particular job or career e.g. leisure & tourism, engineering, nursing). A Career Development Loan offers funding for two years whilst students are in education or job related training (or three years if the course requires one year of in work training). This loan can be used for any costs related to studying and training including childcare costs.
The students will have to repay this loan, but not until one month after completing the course. The government pays the interest on the loan during the course, so students only pays interest once they start repaying the loan. A Career Development loan may affect benefit entitlement, so students also need to contact their benefits advisor.
Contact and resources:
To find out more about Career Development Loans contact 0800 585 505 or check out the Career Development Loans website.
Southampton Children and Young People's Information Service will be happy to give you information about finding and choosing high quality childcare that will suit your child, or search our database of childcare.
To find informatino about childcare available outside of Southampton, go to http://childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk/childcarefinder/
