STUDENTS WITH Kids or DEPENDANTS |
If you’ve got someone who depends on you financially or for care – whether it’s your child, someone else’s, a husband, wife, parent or some other adult – then you could be eligible for more wonga. It’s also worth remembering that any student who’s responsible for a child (or children) on the first day of the academic year will be treated as independent, which means the government will look at your income (and that of any significant others) rather than how much cash your parents have when deciding how much they need to give you.
Grants and financial support
Get hold of a copy of ‘Childcare Grant and other support for student parents in higher education’ from www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk or by giving the Student Finance information line a call on 0800 731 9133.
Lone student parents and those whose partner is also a student should be eligible for the special support grant rather than the maintenance grant. Unlike with the regular maintenance grant, it won’t affect the amount of student loan you’re allowed to take out. It also won’t affect any entitlement to benefits.
Childcare Grant
Just like it says on the tin, this is a grant for students with children in childcare (it has to be the real thing, registered and accredited). The idea is that it covers up to 85% of those costs - up to £148.75 (of an actual cost of £175) a week for one child and £255 a week (of an actual cost of £300) for two or more. The amount depends on your income. Jobcentre Plus and the Housing Benefit people won’t count this grant when they’re working out your benefits so there’s nothing to lose. There’s no point applying if you (or your partner) claim the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit from the HM Revenue & Custom – you won’t be eligible for this as well.
Parents’ Learning Allowance
This is to help with student parents with course-related costs. The full grant is £1,470 a year, but it’s means-tested and how much you get depends on the income of you and your dependants (including your husband, wife or partner). Again, it doesn’t count as income for benefits purposes.
Child tax credit
Students with dependent children up to 16 (or 16-19 in full-time education) should qualify for a child tax credit, regardless of whether they’re working, studying or chewing a brick. Call 0845 300 3900 or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/ to check eligibility and register.
Adult dependants’ grant
Up to £2,575 a year is available to those who have a partner (including, from 2005, a same sex partner) or adult family member dependent on them, but what you actually get depends on what your income is and the income of whoever it is that depends on you (if net income is below £3,700).
Others
Universities also often have crèches and nurseries – which may be subsidised or just plain cheap – and there may be a student parents support group.
Lone student parents and those whose partner is also a student should be eligible for the special support grant rather than the maintenance grant. Unlike with the regular maintenance grant, it won’t affect the amount of student loan you’re allowed to take out. It also won’t affect any entitlement to benefits.
Childcare Grant
Just like it says on the tin, this is a grant for students with children in childcare (it has to be the real thing, registered and accredited). The idea is that it covers up to 85% of those costs - up to £148.75 (of an actual cost of £175) a week for one child and £255 a week (of an actual cost of £300) for two or more. The amount depends on your income. Jobcentre Plus and the Housing Benefit people won’t count this grant when they’re working out your benefits so there’s nothing to lose. There’s no point applying if you (or your partner) claim the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit from the HM Revenue & Custom – you won’t be eligible for this as well.
Parents’ Learning Allowance
This is to help with student parents with course-related costs. The full grant is £1,470 a year, but it’s means-tested and how much you get depends on the income of you and your dependants (including your husband, wife or partner). Again, it doesn’t count as income for benefits purposes.
Child tax credit
Students with dependent children up to 16 (or 16-19 in full-time education) should qualify for a child tax credit, regardless of whether they’re working, studying or chewing a brick. Call 0845 300 3900 or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/ to check eligibility and register.
Adult dependants’ grant
Up to £2,575 a year is available to those who have a partner (including, from 2005, a same sex partner) or adult family member dependent on them, but what you actually get depends on what your income is and the income of whoever it is that depends on you (if net income is below £3,700).
Others
Universities also often have crèches and nurseries – which may be subsidised or just plain cheap – and there may be a student parents support group.
childcare provisions
If you have a child in registered day care, you can get some kind of help with the expense. It might not cover all of it, but there are also supplementary grants available to students with dependents.
If appropriate, check about childcare facilities as many colleges are only beginning to develop services in this area. You can ask if their is a creche, but under that description can be anything from well-staffed care at subsidised cost for children from 6 months to 5 years old to some nobody who fancied a spot of babysitting, surrounded by squealing brats and tipped-up paint pots. In most colleges, the SU is either the main provider of childcare facilities on campus or knows best what provisions are available and will give an honest opinion of how good they are. Either get in touch in person – talk to the Welfare Officer – or ask for a copy of the SU handbook or alternative prospectus.
If appropriate, check about childcare facilities as many colleges are only beginning to develop services in this area. You can ask if their is a creche, but under that description can be anything from well-staffed care at subsidised cost for children from 6 months to 5 years old to some nobody who fancied a spot of babysitting, surrounded by squealing brats and tipped-up paint pots. In most colleges, the SU is either the main provider of childcare facilities on campus or knows best what provisions are available and will give an honest opinion of how good they are. Either get in touch in person – talk to the Welfare Officer – or ask for a copy of the SU handbook or alternative prospectus.
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