If you are a parent who wants to study or train, you may be able to get help paying for childcare while you study.

The Government has increased funds to contribute to the childcare costs of more students and trainees and is considering other ways to make sure parents are able to study or train.

Ask your student welfare adviser to tell you what your childcare options are and what your college or university does to help students who are parents.

Finding out about childcare provided by your college or University.

Some colleges and universities provide childcare schemes aimed at students.

These schemes could include:

• nurseries
• crèches
• out of school schemes
• holiday playschemes
• childminding networks.

You should ask:

• What age groups the service caters for?
• Whether there will be a vacancy when you need the childcare place?
• How long the waiting list is?
• How much the childcare place will cost?
• Whether assistance is available towards the cost of the childcare place?
• What hours the service is open and whether that matches your times of study?

If the childcare services at your college or university are full, ask about financial help to contribute to the costs of other childcare services.

Finding out about financial help to contribute to your childcare costs

You could get some financial help towards your childcare costs although funds are limited. There are several possible sources of help:

• The Government provides colleges and universities with discretionary funds called Hardship (Access to Learning) funds to help students on benefits and low incomes participate in learning. Hardship funds can be used to help pay for students childcare needs.

• In England further education colleges have been provided with additional Government funding so they can offer a limited number of free or subsidised childcare places for students on low incomes. This may not be applicable in Scotland and you should contact your institution to find out what is available. The Government in Scotland through the Students Awards Agency provides colleges with funds to allocate bursary payments to eligible students. These can include maintenance support which may take account of the needs of any dependent children you have. A few courses have funds for childcare costs attached so students/trainees on those courses can apply for help with childcare costs.

• If you are a lone parent on Income Support who needs to train in order to get a job, New Deal for Lone Parents can help with childcare costs for approved courses.

• Ask about career development loans which could also be used to pay for childcare.

Your student welfare adviser should help you find out more about help with childcare costs from your college or university.

A childcare grant is available to full-time students undertaking courses of higher education. The childcare grant:

• can be paid to students with dependant children
• can be paid to students using registered or approved childcare
• pays 85% of actual costs during term time and vacations, including the long vacation
• subject to an income assessment, pays a maximum grant for one child of £114.75 per week The maximum grant for two or more children is £170 per week

You should contact your Local Education Authority if you wish to apply for a childcare grant.

In addition to the childcare grant, there is other support for parents with childcare related costs. Student parents may receive a Parents Learning Allowance of up to £1300, depending upon income. There is no requirement to use registered or approved childcare to receive the Parents Learning Allowance.

Finding out more

• Ask your student welfare advisor or tutor for information about childcare
  while you study or train.
• Try the Daycare Trust website for information about which colleges/universities provide childcare help for students: www.daycaretrust.org.uk
• Ask your local Children's Information Service (CIS) for information about finding
  and choosing high quality childcare that will suit your child. The ChildcareLink freephone service will provide details of your local CIS on 08000 960296
• You can also access the Department for Education and Skills' website: www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/moneytolearn/ where an electronic copy
  of the booklet “Money to Learn” is stored.

You can obtain a copy of the booklet ‘Childcare grant and other support for student
parents in higher education in 2003/04' by calling the DfES information line on
0800 731 9133 or by accessing the DfES website: www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/formsandguides/gui_guides.shtml