Student Services

Supporting You

Students With Children

Brief Guide to Financial Support for Students with Children

The level of financial support you receive as a student with children depends on a variety of factors, including:

Are you a full time or part time student?
Are you on an undergraduate or postgraduate programme?
Do you have a working partner contributing income to the household?

This is a complex area, so we recommend you make an appointment to see our Student Money & Rights (SMART) team. However, here key benefits/grants you may be eligible for.

Child Tax Credit (CTC)

You’re eligible if you’re over 16 and are the parent/carer of a child under 16 or young person aged 16-19 in full time education. If you have children who are disabled or aged under one year, you qualify at a higher rate.

Child Benefit

This is paid to all adults caring for children or young adults. You’re eligible if you have a child under 16, or 16/17 and in a work placement with the careers/connexions service or similar. It’s also paid to parents of young people under 20 in full-time education or on government-funded training programmes.

Childcare Grant

You may be eligible if you are a full time undergraduate student, your child is in registered/approved childcare and you aren’t receiving the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit.

Parents’ Learning Allowance

You could be eligible if you’re in full time education with dependent children. The amount received depends on household income.

Part Time Childcare Grant

A means tested award for part time students using registered childcare provision. The grant offers a contribution to childcare costs. It is available to some students from low income backgrounds who don’t receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credit (WTC).

Nursery Education Grant

This funds free part time early education places for all 3 to 4 year olds within the borough and is available from your local authority.

The Access to Learning Fund

Discretionary financial assistance that enables students to access and remain in higher education and including provision for childcare.

Additional Financial Support

Emergency Loans are available from the SMART Team to Full-time Home/EU undergraduate students whose grant/loan payments have not yet been received. Emergency Loans are also available to students during the course of the academic year, if they can provide evidence that they are suffering exceptional financial difficulties.

Money Advice is available through the SMART Team, via telephone, email or face-to-face.

Debt Advice is available through the SMART Team, by appointment only. This is a free service provided by Community Links.

For further information please go to www.uel.ac.uk/smart or call the SMART Team on 020 8223 6200.