Student parents

In addition to your Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan and Special Support Grant, if you have children or dependents, you could be eligible for extra funding.

This information applies to undergraduate Home students and some EU students.

There are several grants available to student parents. These are means tested, so your eligibility depends on your household income. You’ll not have to pay back these grants and they aren’t counted as income for benefit purposes.

For 2011/12, the grants available include:

• Parent’s Learning Allowance of up to £1,508 per year
• Childcare Grant that pays up to 85 per cent of the cost of Ofsted-registered or Ofsted-approved childcare, up to a maximum of £148.75 per week for one child (85 per cent of £175) or £255 (85 per cent of £300) for two or more children - you cannot get this help if you or your partner receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credits from HM Revenues and Customs
• Adult Dependants Grant of up to £2,642 - paid for an adult who is dependent on you financially – for example a partner on little or no income

Additionally, if you’re a lone parent, you should ensure that you receive the Special Support Grant instead of the Maintenance Grant (although the grant level is the same, the Maintenance Grant counts as income and will therefore affect any social security benefits you are eligible for - the Special Support Grant will not affect your benefit entitlement).

Full-time and part-time students can apply to the University’s Access to Learning Fund for financial help towards their living costs and expenses such as childcare not met by the Childcare Grant.  

The eligibility rules for receiving Child Tax Credits (CTC) are broadly the same as Child Benefit, but your income must be below a set threshold.

Your Student Support funding doesn’t count as income for Tax Credit purposes. If Student Support is your only income, you can receive full CTC while studying.

Working Tax Credit (WTC) is for people on a low income. To be eligible for WTC as a parent, you or your partner must be working 16 hours or more per week and your income must be below a set threshold.

For details of who qualifies and the rates payable, visit the HMRC website.

Tax Credits Childcare Element

If you don’t qualify for the Childcare Grant, you may receive help with childcare costs from Tax Credits. If you’re a lone parent, you must be working more than 16 hours a week.  If you have a partner, you both must be working more than 16 hours a week.

For more information on the Childcare Element of Tax Credits, see the HM Revenue and Customs website.

The Childcare Grant pays 85 per cent of your childcare costs, while the childcare element of tax credits pays 80 per cent. You cannot receive both, so you may wish to opt for the grant. If you do try to apply for both, it could result in an overpayment and you could be asked to repay any money received.

Help from your employer

If you’re currently working, you may be entitled to help from your employer. This could include paying cash towards the cost of childcare or paying your childcare fees directly.

If your employer offers any of the above, you’ll be liable to pay tax and National Insurance contributions on the help that’s provided. However, there are other types of childcare support you could receive, such as childcare vouchers, without having to make these payments.

See the Directgov website for more information.

Additional help

The government provides free early learning for three and four year olds in England at a registered childcare provider for 38 weeks of the year.

For further information, visit Directgov.

Social Security Benefits

Certain groups of full-time student parents can claim benefits. These include:

• single parents with dependent children
  
• couples where both partners are full-time students and have dependent children
• the partner of a full-time student

You are required to inform the Jobcentre Plus/Department for Work and Pensions that you have started studying and will need to notify them of your student income. This will reduce or even cancel out any benefit payable.

Child Benefit

If you’re responsible for a child, you may be able to claim Child Benefit if any of the following apply:

• your child is under 16
• your child is over 16 and in relevant education or training
• your child is 16 or 17, has left relevant education or training and is registered for work, education or training with an approved body
• your child is aged 16-20 and in full-time non-advanced education or training before they were 19

If you’re entitled to Child Benefit, you’ll receive £20.30 a week for your oldest child and £13.40 a week for each of your other children. For further information and the application process, visit the Inland Revenue Child Benefit website or alternatively call the Child Benefit Helpline on Tel: 0845 302 1444.

Income Support

If you’re a lone parent with a child aged under seven, you may be able to claim. Current exceptions apply if you receive the Carer’s Allowance and are responsible for a child who receives the middle or higher rate of Disability Living Allowance.

If you receive a Student Maintenance Loan, it’s likely to cancel out your Income Support. During your first year this applies from the start of your course until the end of the following June. Payments from approximately 1 September to the end of the following June will be cancelled during subsequent years. You can find more information on our Full-time undergraduate students funding page.

The benefit entitlement of postgraduate students in receipt of a Professional and Career Development Loan, which includes an element for living costs, will also be affected.

Your student loan doesn’t count as income during July and August, and so you should reclaim Income Support during these periods.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Student couples responsible for a child can claim during July and August. If you’re a single parent who’s not eligible for Income Support because of your child’s age, you may be entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance during July and August.

You should:

• meet the job-seeking criteria and be available for full-time work
• be responsible for a child under 16 or under 20 years and in full-time non-advanced education

For details about Jobseeker's Allowance and how to claim, visit the Directgov website.

Housing Benefit

If you’re a single parent who’s eligible for Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance (even if you don’t receive it), you can also claim Housing Benefit. Student couples with a dependent child are also eligible. If you have a partner who is not a full-time student, they can claim instead.

Housing Benefit payments are based on your income and your rent. Note that the Maintenance Loan counts as income and will reduce your Housing Benefit payments during term time. In July and August you'll be entitled to a higher rate and you should contact your Housing Benefit Office to notify them of your change in income. The Professional and Career Development Loan for postgraduate students is also counted as income if it is paid to help cover living costs.

If you are a full-time student, Extra Student Support from Student Finance England, your Local Authority and any entitlement to Social Security benefits will begin when your baby is born.

While pregnant, you may receive free health benefits, such as prescriptions and dental care. You can claim these by completing a maternity exemption certificate application form, available from your doctor, midwife or health visitor.

You may also qualify for the Healthy Start Scheme, which provides you with free vitamins as well as fixed vouchers for certain types of food. To check who qualifies, visit the NHS website.

If you’ve been working, there may be extra help you can receive depending on how long you’ve been employed. These include Contractual Maternity Pay or Statutory Maternity Pay. If you don’t qualify for these you may be entitled to Maternity Allowance.

If you or your partner receives Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit (at a rate higher than the family element), or Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award, you may receive the Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500. Visit the Directgov website for details.

You could also apply to the Access to Learning Fund.