The Parent Student

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Research Councils

Research councils use government funds to sponsor promising postgraduate students. Competition for funding is usually fierce and less than a quarter of applicants are generally successful. The application process usually takes several months and may involve extensive references from past tutors, a personal statement and research proposal, and endorsement from the institution at which you [...]

Parents’ Learning Allowance

You may be eligible for a Parents’ Learning Allowance to help with living expenses while you study.  This allowance is a non-repayable grant available to Parent Students with low household incomes –  for the current academic year the maximum grant is £1,470. Consult the directgov website for more information.

Career Development Loans

Career Development Loans are bank loans with a slight twist – you don’t have to start paying them back immediately. You may be able to borrow £300 to £8,000 to pay for a course lasting up to two years, or three years if it includes a year of approved work experience, and your repayments won’t [...]

Adult Dependants’ Grant

You may be eligible for an Adult Dependants Grant if you have an adult who depends on you financially for support. The adult you support must not be your son or daughter but may be your partner (including same sex partners) or another adult. The Adult Dependants’ Grant is worth up to £2,575 per year [...]

Childcare Grant

You will be entitled to a childcare grant to help with nursery or other costs if you have dependant children and come from a low-income household. Your dependant(s) must be enrolled in approved or registered childcare and the grant will pay 85% of the cost of this care – up to a maximum weekly grant [...]

Special Support Grant

The Parent Student may be a priority candidate for a Special Support Grant rather than a Maintenance Grant. The Special Support Grant is payable in addition to the Student Loan rather than instead of it. The grant is also not counted as income when calculating income-related benefits or tax credits. Single parents or Parent Students with [...]