Students with children

Money Matters (for 'Home' students)

If you have children or other dependants who rely on you financially, you may be eligible for additional financial support.  Further details can be found on the Government support pages.

Government Support for undergraduate students, under the heading 'supplementary grants'.

Government Support for postgraduate students.

You may also find useful information on our Mature Students webpage or our Pregnancy webpage.

Studentparents.org has a printable budget calculator on their website.

Full-time UK undergraduate students who are parents should be eligible for some or all of the following.  NHS courses are funded differently, please see information here and seek advice from Student Support.

• Loan for tuition fees: (paid directly to the University to cover the cost of your fees)
• Maintenance loan:
• Maintenance grant or Special Support grant:
• Parents’ Learning Allowance:
• University of Essex bursary
• Other bursaries and scholarships for undergraduates (courses starting September 2012 or later)
• Childcare Grant: up to 85% of actual childcare costs if using a registered childcare provider (applications for all the above are made through Student Finance England, or equivalent regional funding body if you don’t live in England)
• Child tax credits: students are still entitled to claim and student income is not taken into account as it isn't earned income
• Child benefit: entitlement remains the same whether or not you are a full-time student
• Access to Learning Fund (hardship fund): apply to your university once you are registered, awards vary and are not guaranteed

In addition to the above, students who are lone parents may be eligible for:

• Income Support/Housing Benefit. Because of the way student funding income is treated in calculating these benefits, sometimes single parents can only receive them in the summer vacation (approx. 9 weeks).

Some of these entitlements will depend on the age/s of your child/ren. Some may not be available to you if you have had previous study at higher education level or already have a degree—please ask for further advice if this is the case. For further information about welfare benefits for students see here.

International students should ensure that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and any dependants for the duration of their studies.  If you are applying for a visa you must have the level of funds available as specified by the UKBA, please refer to the UKCISA guidance note 'Your Family's Immigration' for more information.

Council Tax

Information about Council Tax exemptions and discounts for students can be found on our Council Tax web page.

Click here for information about the additional support available to students with children.

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