FINANCIAL HELP

Additional financial help

This section provides information about additional sources of funding which, dependent on circumstances, students may be eligible to claim.

Students with children

If you are a student with children then you may be able to get some extra help. This comes from two main sources: your Local Authority and HM Revenue and Customs.

This additional help is explained in the DfES guide Childcare grant and other support for parents in higher education 2006/2007 (PDF 300KB). A brief outline of the extra help available to students with children is provided here:

Childcare Grant

For full-time students with dependent children under 15 (or 17 if your child is registered as having special educational needs) the amount you receive will depend on your actual childcare costs and on your income and that of your dependents. You must use a registered childcare provider or carer approved under the new Childcare Approval Scheme. A Childcare Grant cannot be paid for any period when they are entitled to free, early year education provision, although it may be used to pay for services before and/or after that provision.

If your childcare arrangements meet these requirements, you will be able to get 85% of the cost of childcare throughout the whole year, up to a limit of £148.75 per week for one child and up to £255 per week for two or more. It is paid in three instalments with your student loan. Jobcentre Plus will not count any help you receive when working out your benefit entitlement. It is government policy that you cannot get a Childcare Grant if you are claiming the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit.

You should apply to your Local Authority first for help with tuition fees, a student loan and extra help to meet your costs as a student parent. To apply for the Childcare Grant, you will need to tell your Local Authority when you are assessed for financial support. They will send you a form, 'Application for help with childcare costs' (CCG1). You should complete section 1 of the form and ask your childcare provider to fill in section 2.

A second form, 'Confirmation of Childcare Payments' (CCG2), asks for evidence of childcare payments made to your provider and for any change of circumstances. You should fill in part 1 of the form and ask your childcare provider to fill in and sign section 2 and 3 before sending it to your Local Authority. If you return the form after the dates shown on the form, your next instalment of Childcare Grant may not be paid. You can also download the CCG1 and CCG2 forms at the Student Finance Direct website forms and guides page.

For information about childcare in your area visit ChildcareLink.

Parents' Learning Allowance (PLA)

The PLAe is available to help pay for course-related costs such as books, materials and travel. It is paid on top of any standard student finance you may receive. You do not have to repay the PLA.

It is available to full-time students with dependent children. You can apply if you receive the Childcare Grant. The allowance is also available to students with low incomes.

The amount of PLA you can get will depend on your income and your dependants’ income. The maximum you can get is £1,400. You apply for this grant through your Local Authority. It is paid in three instalments from the Student Loans Company with your loan. Jobcentre Plus should not count this grant when they work out your benefit entitlement.

Lone Parents' Grant

This means tested grant for single parents with dependent children was abolished in 2005/6. If you were in receipt of this grant you are now eligible to apply for the same grants as other students with children, the Parents’ Learning Allowance and the Childcare Grant.

Child Tax Credit (CTC)

Students with dependent children may be eligible for Child Tax Credit from HM Revenue and Customs. You do not have to be working to be eligible for this tax credit. Introduced in April 2003, Child Tax Credit replaces the Children's Tax Credit and Working Families Tax Credit. Students who receive the maximum amount of Child Tax Credit should be entitled to free school meals for their children, unless they receive Working Tax Credit. The money you get depends on your circumstances and income. It will be paid every four weeks directly into your bank account. If you have not yet applied you can backdate your claim for three months only.

Tax Credits Online, from the HM Revenue and Customs website, allows you to check how much you could get and to make your claim online. Getting Child Tax Credit will not affect your Child Benefit entitlement.

The Child Tax Credit will be taken into account in full when Income Support, Income Based Job Seekers Allowance, or Housing Benefit claims are being assessed.

Working Tax Credit (WTC)

This is designed to help people on low incomes. To be eligible for Working Tax Credit, you must usually be aged:

• 25 or over and work 30 hours or more a week, or
• 16 or over, have responsibility for a child, and work 16 hours or more a week, or
• 16 or over, have a disability which puts you at a disadvantage in getting a job, and work 16 hours or more a week

Working Tax Credit has a childcare element where you can get back up to 70% of your costs for qualifying childcare. A student, or their husband or wife or partner, cannot receive a Childcare Grant from their Local Authority if they receive the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit from HM Revenue and Customs. You can decide which one you want to claim.

As a student, you need to have a child and be working over 16 hours a week in addition to studying, or if you manage to work over 30 hours a week then you can claim without having a child.

Back To Top

Students with adult dependents

If you have a husband or wife or partner, or you have another member of your family who is financially dependent on you, you may be eligible for the Adult Dependants' Grant. How much you get depends on your income and that of your dependants: the maximum is £2,455 per year. You do not have to fill in another form to apply for this extra money. Your Local Authority will make the assessment using the information you have already provided on the PN1 form (or PR1 for continuing students). It is paid in three instalments with your student loan and will be counted as income in any Jobcentre Plus or HM Revenue and Customs assessments.

Back To Top

Students with disabilities

Local Authorities will pay Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) to full-time, part-time and certain postgraduate students who have satisfied them that their disability means they need to pay extra costs to attend their course. The DfES booklet Bridging the gap – a guide to Disabled Students’ Allowances in higher education in 2005/06 (PDF 239) provides detailed information about support for disabled students.

EU and International students are not eligible to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance.

Back To Top

Students from care

If you have been a Foyer resident, extra help available for you from the Foyer Federation.

Back To Top

Students studying on a vocational course

Career Development Loans are a Government Scheme, operated in conjunction with three High Street banks (Co-operative, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland). They can assist with up to 80% of the cost of tuition fees and an amount of living costs, or 100% if you have been out of work for three months or more before applying.

You can apply for a loan of between £300 and £8000. Anyone on a vocational course who is over 18 and lives in the UK (and plans to work in the UK or EU after training) can apply. Further information about eligibility is available from the Career Development Loan website. Most of the banks do credit check applications so if you have poor credit history you may be turned down. The Learning Skills Council pays the interest on your loan when you are studying and for up to one month afterwards. You then repay the loan to the bank over an agreed period at a fixed rate of interest.

Claiming benefits

The rules concerning students and benefits are complicated and depend on individual circumstances. There are also different rules for claiming benefits during term time and vacation periods. We therefore advise that all students who are in receipt of benefits, or who believe they may be eligible for certain benefits or tax credits, seek advice from their local Benefits Office, Citizen's Advice Bureau, or an advisor at the Personal Development Unit.

Download Prospectus »

Download & Print Application form »

Tips: right-click on each link and select "Save Target As...". You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer before you can view and print out these documents. Get the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Back to Tuition & Fees page »