Students with caring responsibilities

If you have children or have an adult that depends on you financially, you may be able eligible to apply for other grants.

This grant is to help if there is an adult in your household that depends on you financially. You may be eligible for up to £3354 a year (2023/2024 academic year) depending on your household income. Find out more.

This is a means-tested grant to assist with childcare costs as a student if you have dependent children aged under 15 (or under 17 if they have special educational needs) in registered or approved childcare. Depending on your household income, you can apply for up to a maximum 85% of your actual childcare costs during term time in academic years 1-3.  The grant is paid into a Childcare Grant Payment Service account (CCGPS), your childcare provider will send a request to the CCGPS and the money will then be paid directly to them.

In academic years 1 and 2, eligible students can apply for the childcare grant in the holidays to enable parent students to study, do voluntary work or an internship. You can now apply for more than 2 children, however there is a maximum amount available.

You cannot apply for the childcare grant if you or your husband, wife or partner claims the childcare element of working Tax Credit or Universal Credit and you also cannot claim Tax-Free Childcare. Find out more.

You can apply for this grant if you have dependent children. This helps with extra costs associated with being a parent and a student. You do not need to be paying childcare to be eligible. You can get up to a maximum of £1915 a year (2023/2024 academic year), the grant is means assessed and depends on your household income. Find out more.

These are available to students who have extra costs because of a disability, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty. DSAs can help pay for specific equipment, a non-medical helper, travel or other costs. DSAs do not depend on household income. How much DSA funding you will be eligible for depends entirely on your individual circumstances DSAs are paid directly for services and not to the individual student. Find out more.