The Parent Student

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.

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 [...]

Financial help for undergraduate parent students

Parents who decide to embark on a higher education course may be eligible for various grants, bursaries and loans according to their number of dependants and household income. You can download a pdf document from the directgov website which describes these in detail. Below is an overview of the help available:

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 [...]

Grants for part-time students

The undergraduate Parent Student studying part-time may be eligible for a Fee Grant and/or a Course Grant. If you are currently living on benefits you may automatically qualify for the maximum Fee and Course Grants of up to £1,435 per year. Your course must lead to a recognised higher education qualification – for example, a Certificate [...]

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 [...]

Government Maintenance Grant

A government maintenance grant may be available to students from England in full-time higher education. Government grants are means tested, so if your household income is low you may be eligible for either the Maintenance Grant or the Special Support Grant. It is important to note that if your application for a Maintenance Grant is [...]

Student Loans

Loans are a big help at the time but may be a bane for years to come. You can apply for ’student finance’ (which incorporates both loans and grants) from the directgov website – you may be eligible to borrow up to £3,145 to cover tuition fees and up to £6,475 a year to help [...]

University grants

Universities in the UK are now offering grants to students from lower income families. If you apply for and receive the maximum Maintenance Grant OR Special Support Grant as well as paying full tuition fees of £3,145, you will be eligible for an additional bursary from your university of at least £310. A comprehensive list [...]