Frequently Asked Questions

(Help for students)

The list below provides answers to the most common questions of parents who want to study or train:

• Finding out about childcare provided by your college or university
• Finding out about financial help to contribute to your childcare costs
• Finding out more

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 play schemes
• 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 funds called Access funds to help students on benefits and low incomes participate in learning. A proportion of Access funds can be spent on childcare by colleges and universities.
   
• 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 that may take account of the needs of any dependent children you have.
   
• Some colleges and universities collect money for Hardship funds to help students who are not eligible for Access funds. Some Hardship funds are used to help students pay for childcare, usually as one-off amounts to meet short-term, unexpected need. 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 that could also be used to pay for childcare.
   
• Your student welfare advisor should help you find out more about help with childcare costs from your college or university.

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.

Croydon Children's Information Service will be happy to give you information about finding and choosing high quality childcare that will suit your child.

You can also access the Department for Education and Employment's website, where an electronic copy of the booklet "Money to Learn" is stored.

Back to Paying for Childcare

Thursday, 20 November, 2008

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