Help with childcare costs if you are a student

You can get help with childcare costs if you are a part-time or full-time student. There are childcare grants and benefits that you can claim to cover some of the fees. This includes contributions to expenses for living costs or funding a nursery place.

Although there are various ways to save on childcare costs, some benefits apply only to students. Each country has its own schemes for parents to help with the cost of childcare. Claiming other benefits, such as Universal Credit may affect your eligibility for student childcare support.

The below figures are correct for the 2024/25 academic year.

Help with childcare costs for students in England

Parents who study in England can claim Childcare Grant, Care to Learn, Learner Support or Parents’ Learning Allowance or to help with childcare costs.

Childcare Grant

Full-time higher education students in England who have children under the age of 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs, could receive up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs (or a fixed maximum amount, whichever is less ) if they are eligible for student finance.

The Childcare Grant is paid weekly into a Childcare Grant Payment Service account. You do not need to pay any money back, but any funds left over at the end of the academic year will be returned to Student Finance England.

Depending on your household income and the number of children you have responsibility for, you can get 85 per cent of childcare costs, up to a certain amount.

• One child: up to £193.62 a week
• Two or more children: up to £331.95 a week

You will get either 85 per cent of the costs or the fixed amount, whichever is less, and pay the remaining costs yourself.

How do you qualify?

To be eligible for the Childcare Grant, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be a full-time student
• Currently receive or be eligible for undergraduate student finance
• Be a permanent resident in England
• Have a child under 15, or 17 if they have special educational needs who are financially dependent on you
• Your childcare provider must be registered with Ofsted

You cannot get the Childcare Grant if:

• You are claiming Tax-Free Childcare, the childcare element of working Tax Credit or Universal Credit
• The NHS is helping you or your partner with childcare costs

Apply for Childcare Grant here.

Care to Learn

If you are under 20 years old and enrolled in a publicly-funded course in schools, sixth-forms in schools or at sixth-form colleges you may be able to benefit from the Care to Learn scheme.

You can use the money to pay for childcare-related expenses, such as registration fees, travelling to the provider or keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays.

How much can you get?

How much you get from Care to Learn depends on where you live.

• Outside of London: £180 per child per week
• In London: £195 per child per week

Any childcare-related payments are paid directly to your provider, while travel payments go to your school or college who will either fund or arrange travel for you.

How do you qualify?

You must meet all of the following to be eligible for Care to Learn:

• Be a parent and under the age of 20 at the start of your course
• Be the main carer for your child
• Live in England and either be a British citizen or have the legal right to live and study in England
• Your course is publicly-funded
• Your childcare provider is registered with Ofsted

Apply for Care to Learn here.

Learner Support

People over the age of 20 who are on a further education course, such as studying for an NVQ, and struggle financially may be eligible for help with childcare costs under the Learner Support scheme.

How much can you get?

The money is paid by your learning provider, which decides how much you will get. Payment could be in the form of a lump sum, a loan or to someone else, such as a landlord.

How do you qualify?

To be eligible for Learner Support childcare support, you must be over 20 years of age and your place of study must be funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

You will not be eligible if you already get student finance for higher education or if you are enrolled in a Community Learning Course.

To make a claim, apply directly to your learning provider.

Parents’ Learning Allowance

As a full-time student with children and depending on your household’s income, you may receive help with learning costs, which could free up funds for childcare, including early education. 

Parents’ Learning Allowance is paid in addition to student finance, does not affect benefits or tax credits and you do not have to pay it back.

How much can you get?

In the 2024/25 academic year, you could receive between £50 and £1,963 a year depending on your household income. The money is paid into your bank account at the start of each term.

How do you qualify?

To qualify, you must be a student from England with children who are dependent on you and either be on a full-time undergraduate course or an Initial Teacher Training course.

Although you could use the money for childcare, you do not need to be paying for childcare to be eligible.

You can apply for Parents’ Learning Allowance as part of your student finance application.

Help with childcare costs for students in Scotland

Universities and colleges in Scotland offer financial help towards childcare for eligible students through further education and higher education funds. Single parents with at least one child may also receive a Lone Parents’ Grant from their learning provider.

Childcare Fund

Each university and college in Scotland has a Childcare Fund  to help students cover registered childcare costs.

How much can you get?

Students who are lone parents with formal registered childcare costs can receive up to £1,215 from the Childcare Fund. However, the fund is limited which could mean some eligible students will not receive support.

How do you qualify?

It is up to the university or college to decide who gets payments and how much they will receive. However, eligible lone parents are entitled to receive payment, pending an assessment of other support they receive towards childcare costs.

To be eligible for the Childcare Fund, you must pay for registered childcare, such as a nursery or pre-school place, after school club, or a childminder.

Additionally, you must meet the following criteria:

• Fulfil residence requirements
• Be over compulsory school leaving age
• Attend a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate course
• Be eligible to have tuition fees paid by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)
• Have used full entitlement of all other available support, such as student loan

Lone Parents’ Grant

The Lone Parents’ Grant is money paid by the SAAS to single parents with at least one child who are dependent on you, including children you act as a carer for.

How much can you get?

How much you will receive depends on your household income, including from property, pensions and benefits. The first £1,067 of any income you have will be excluded.

The maximum amount you can receive is £1,305.

From 2024-25 (academic year), benefits were no longer into account when calculating the amount of Lone Parents’ Grant paid.

How do you qualify?

To be eligible, you must be either legally responsible for younger siblings or bring up at least one child on your own, i.e. you are single, widowed, divorced or separated.

You can apply for the Lone Parents’ Grant when you apply for student finance. You must provide proof of being a single parent.

Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant

You can receive the Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant on top of the Lone Parents’ Grant if you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student. It is money from your college or university to pay towards formal childcare.

How much can you get?

You can receive up to £1,215, which is to go towards formal childcare such as a nursery, registered childminder or after school club.

How do you qualify?

Eligibility criteria include:

• You are an undergraduate or post graduate student
• You are a single parent to at least one dependent child
• You get the maximum amount in student loan
• You have already applied for Lone Parents’ Grant

Help with childcare costs for students in Wales

The Childcare Grant, Financial Contingency Fund and Parents’ Learning Allowance can help you with childcare costs if you are a student in Wales.

Childcare Grant

The Childcare Grant could give you up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs, up to a maximum amount, if you have children in registered and approved childcare.

How much can you get?

You will get either 85 per cent of the costs or the fixed amount, whichever is lower, and pay the remaining costs yourself.

• One child: up to £187 per week
• Two or more children: up to £321 per week

If you do not have a childcare provider when you apply, the maximum amount you can receive is capped at £144 per week or 85 per cent of actual costs, whichever is less.

After you have chosen a provider and the full costs are known, you will be reassessed.

How do you qualify?

If your childcare provider is registered with or approved by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales or other appropriate body, you will be able to claim.

You will not be eligible for the Childcare Grant if you or your partner claims Universal Credit, the childcare element of Working Tax Credits, Tax-Free Childcare or NHS Funded childcare grants.

Start your application for the Childcare Grant here.

Financial Contingency Fund

The Financial Contingency Fund is available to students who struggle financially and can help you cover the costs of childcare.

How much can you get?

How much you will receive in payments is determined by your learning provider.

How do you qualify?

You may qualify for the Financial Contingency Fund if you are over the age of 16, pay for registered childcare and have a household income of less than £20,818 per year if you have one child or £23,077 if you have two or more.

Speak to your place of study to apply and for advice.

Parents’ Learning Allowance

Parents’ Learning Allowance is an annual payment for students who have one or more financially dependent children.

How much can you get?

In 2024/25, you can receive up to £1,963 per year depending on your household income, marital status and how many children you have.

How do you qualify?

To be eligible for Parents’ Learning Allowance, you must provide evidence that your children depend on you.

You can do this by:

• Sending in a copy of birth certificates, certificates of Naturalisation or Home Office documentation confirming your children’s names and dates of birth and;
• Sending in a copy of either your most recent Tax Credit or Universal Credit Award Notice naming all your children, or all pages of your most recent Child Benefit letter naming all children.

Apply for Parents’ Learning Allowance using the application form.

Help with childcare costs for students in Northern Ireland

In addition to the standard student finance package, parents who are students in Northern Ireland can access Childcare Grant, Parents’ Learning Allowance, Care to Learn as well as Support Funds from their learning provider to help with childcare costs.

Childcare Grant

The Childcare Grant is a weekly payment which helps students in Northern Ireland to pay for childcare during term time and holidays.

How much can you get?

The amount you receive depends on your own and your dependants’ income as well as the actual costs of your childcare.

• One child: up to £148.75 per week
• Two or more children: up to £255 per week

How do you qualify?

You can apply for the grant if you are a full-time student and have children under the age of 15, or 17 if they have special educational needs. They must be in approved or registered childcare.

If you or your partner receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, you cannot get the Childcare Grant at the same time.

You can apply for the grant at the same time as you apply for student finance by completing the section about extra help for students with children.

Parents’ Learning Allowance

Parents’ Learning Allowance can be used to pay for course-related material and other expenses to free up money for childcare. It is paid in addition to your regular student finance and you do not have to pay it back.

How much can you get

Parents’ Learning Allowance can get you up to £1,538 per year depending on your household income.

Eligibility

You do not have to work out if you are eligible before you apply as Student Finance Northern Ireland will do that for you.

However: you must prove that your child is at least mainly financially dependent on you; you must normally live in Northern Ireland; your course must result in a degree, certificate or diploma and; your place of study must be eligible for funding from Student Finance NI.

Receiving the Childcare Grant does not affect your eligibility for Parents’ Learning Allowance.

Start your Parents’ Learning Allowance application here.

Care to Learn

If you are a parent between 16 and 20 years old who are studying at a further education college in Northern Ireland, the Care to Learn scheme offers help towards childcare costs.

The scheme is also open to you if you expect to become a parent during your course.

How do you qualify?

To be eligible you must be between 16 and 20 years old at the start of your course and be the main carer of your child/children. You must also meet the Education Regulations residency requirements.

Care to Learn is open to full-time and part-time students in further education and higher education.

You will not qualify for Care to Learn if you receive childcare support from other sources, such as Tax Credits and Childcare Grant Support Funds.

To apply for Care to Learn, contact your learning provider.

Support Funds

Universities and colleges in Northern Ireland can provide financial support to people who are struggling. Support Funds are open to full-time and part-time students in higher education or to those on a postgraduate course.

A learning provider’s Support Fund is allocated on an individual basis and can help with childcare costs, emergencies and living costs.

Each institution has a large say in who should receive payments and look at individual circumstances, but students with children are prioritised.

There are other ways to reduce your childcare costs. Visit our Nursery fees advice section to find out more about how you can get help with the fees, such as how the 15 and 30 hours funded childcare scheme works.