Get help with paying for childcare

Sources of funding and entitlements to support parents while they are studying

• Care to Learn - You must be aged under 20 at the start of the course. You can get up to £175 per child per week if you live in London and £160 per child per week if you live outside London
• Childcare Grant - You may be eligible for a childcare grant if you’re in full-time higher education and pay for childcare costs for children under 15 or under 17 if they have special needs. You may get up to 85% of your childcare costs, up to £174.22 a week for 1 child and £298.69 a week for 2 or more children in the 2020 to 2021 academic year
• Parents' Learning Allowance - You may be eligible for help with your learning costs if you’re a full-time student with children. Depending on your household income, in the 2020 to 2021 academic year you could get between £50 and £1,766 a year
• Discretionary Learner Support - You may be eligible if you’re 19 or over and on a further education course. The money can help you with accommodation and travel, course materials and childcare. You can’t claim if you are getting Student Finance for higher education or on a Community Learning course