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Am I eligible for extra funding?
To get any higher education support from the government, you and your course must be eligible for it. To be eligible for the extra funding detailed here, you must be studying either:
- full-or part-time for an undergraduate or equivalent qualification
- full-time for a postgraduate initial teacher training qualification (or part-time if you get your funding from Student Finance NI, in which case you get the same funding as full-time students)
- on a healthcare course and eligible for an NHS, DHSSPS or Scottish Government Health Directorate healthcare bursary
- on a postgraduate social work course and eligible for a social work bursary from the NHS, Care Council for Wales
- full-time on a postgraduate course for which you get undergraduate funding from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
For more details about eligibility, see Can I get higher education funding in the UK?
What extra help can I get for childcare costs?
If you’re studying for an undergraduate or equivalent level qualification, or taking a postgraduate course for which you can get the undergraduate package of student support, you can get extra help for the costs of childcare, depending on who provides your funding. The following figures are for 2013/2014.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland: if you get your funding from Student Finance England, Wales or NI, you can apply for a Childcare Grant to help with the costs of childcare for children aged under three years old or between five and 14 (or 16 if they have special educational needs). The amount you get depends on your household income, the cost of your childcare and how many dependent children you have:
- England and Northern Ireland: if you’re studying full-time you can get up to £148.75 (that is, 85 per cent of £175) each week of the academic year for one child, or £255 (85 per cent of £300) each week for two or more. You can’t get the grant if you study part-time. For more information, including how to apply, see Childcare Grant for England and Help for students with children for Northern Ireland.
- Wales: if you’re studying full-time you can get up to £161.50 (that is, 85 per cent of £190) each week of the academic year for one child, or £275.55 (85 per cent of £323) each week for two or more. For more information, including how to apply, see Childcare Grant. If you’re studying part-time the amount you get also depends on your ‘course intensity’ – the percentage of time that you’re studying compared to a student taking an equivalent full-time course. You can get up to £121 each week of the academic year for one child if your course intensity is 75 per cent, or £206 for two or more children. For more information, see Childcare Grant.
You can apply for the Childcare Grant on top of any other student finance you get from the government, and you don’t have to pay it back. It doesn’t affect your income-related, unemployment or housing benefits, but you can’t apply if you or your partner claims the childcare element of Working Tax Credits. You can choose to change your funding from the Working Tax Credit to a Childcare Grant if you want to, though.
There are lots of rules about what counts as ‘childcare’ – and the definitions change slightly if you get your funding in one country but your childcare in another. See the details from Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales and Student Finance NI for more information.
Scotland: if you get your funding from SAAS, your college or university has a childcare fund to help towards your costs. They decide who should get this funding, and how much you get. The fund is limited, so not all eligible students with childcare costs receive help. For more information, see Childcare fund.
I’ve got a bursary to study medicine, dentistry or healthcare – what extra funding can I get?
If you get a bursary from the NHS, DHSSPS or Scottish Government Health Directorate you can get extra help with childcare. The following figures are for 2013/2014.
England and Wales: if you’re taking a healthcare course funded by the NHS in England or Wales, you can apply for the NHS bursary Childcare Allowance instead of the regular Childcare Grant. This is very similar to the Childcare Grant, but you apply for it as part of your bursary. See the following for more information:
Northern Ireland: if you’re studying for a healthcare qualification in Northern Ireland and you get a bursary from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), you may get a similar allowance. Contact your local Student Finance NI office for advice.
Scotland: if you’re taking a nursing or midwifery course funded by the Scottish Government Health Directorate, you can get a Childcare Allowance for Parents as part of your bursary. You can get up to up to £1,216 a year, depending on the cost of childcare. For more information, see Childcare Allowance for Parents.
I’ve got a bursary to study social work – what extra funding can I get?
If you get a bursary from the NHS in England or the Care Council for Wales to study for a qualification in social work, you can get extra help with childcare. The following figures are for 2012/2013.
England: if you’re studying for a postgraduate qualification in social work and get a social work bursary from the NHS in England, you can apply for a Childcare Allowance, which is the same as the Childcare Grant that’s available from Student Finance England. Undergraduate social work students must apply for the regular Childcare Grant. See Income-assessed Childcare Allowance Application Pack for more information.
Wales: if you’re studying for a postgraduate masters degree in social work and get a social work bursary from the Care Council for Wales, you can get a Childcare Grant of up to £8,330 a year for one child, or up to £14,285 a year for two or more children, depending on your income. For more information, see Additional Grants and Allowances for postgraduate students.
Related topics
I’m a student with children or other dependants – what extra higher education funding can I get?
I’m studying medicine, dentistry or healthcare – what higher education funding can I get in England or Wales?
I’m studying medicine, dentistry or healthcare – what higher education funding can I get in Northern Ireland?
I’m studying medicine, dentistry or healthcare – what higher education funding can I get in Scotland?
I’m studying social work – what higher education funding can I get in England?
I’m studying social work – what higher education funding can I get in Wales?
This information was updated in March 2013. NUS provides this information in good faith and has taken care to make sure it’s accurate. However, student finance issues can be complicated, and rules change frequently. You should contact the advice centre in your students' union, college or university for support if you’re uncertain or need more help.