Finance for Parents and Guardians

What should I know about finance for parents and guardians?

Lone Parent Grant and Lone Parent Childcare Grant – SAAS-funded students 

The Lone Parent Grant is administered by SAAS and is available to full-time home funded undergraduate students who are single and responsible for raising a child or who are legally responsible for younger siblings. This grant covers the whole year from the first day of your course and can be up to £1,305. Part-time undergraduates and postgraduate students are not eligible for this grant. You apply for the Lone Parent Grant directly to SAAS when you apply for your fees and living cost support as usual.

If you receive the Lone Parent Grant you could also receive up to £1,215 to pay for registered or formal childcare. To be eligible to receive the Lone Parent Childcare Grant, you must also be eligible for and be in receipt of the Lone Parents' Grant. You make applications for the Lone Parent Childcare Grant through applying to the University’s Childcare Fund.

The Childcare Fund fund is available to full-time undergraduates, PGDE students or postgraduate students in receipt of a SAAS tuition fee loan to help with registered childcare in Scotland. To be eligible you will have to have applied for the full means-tested student loan. The amount you will receive is means tested and you are likely to receive a contribution towards the cost of childcare. Childcare can include breakfast clubs and after school clubs.

If you are not eligible for the Childcare Fund because you are a part-time student or your childcare isn’t formal you can still apply for help but you need to do it through the Discretionary Fund.

Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance – Rest of UK-funded students 

For UK-funded students from outside Scotland (i.e. funded by Student Finance England [SFE], Wales [SFW] or Northern Ireland [SFNI]), the Childcare Grant provides up to 85% of costs (or a fixed amount as below, whichever is calculated to be less) for registered childcare for full-time students. You can apply to your funding body for funding before starting your course to avoid financial hardship.  

In academic year 2022/23, if you are funded as an RUK student you could receive the following from the Childcare Grant if your application is successful:

• up to £183.75 a week for 1 child from SFE, up to £184 a week for 1 child from SWF, or up to £148.75 a week for 1 child from SFNI. 

• up to £315.03 a week for 2 or more children from SFE, up to £315 a week for 2 or more children from SFW, or up to £255 a week for 2 or more children from SFNI.  

The grant helps with childcare costs for children under 15 or under 17 if they have special educational needs. You must be studying full-time at undergraduate level and eligible for student finance to apply for a Childcare Grant.

The Parents’ Learning Allowance support students with dependent children in full-time (if funded by SFE or SFNI) or full-time or part-time (if funded by SFW) undergraduate education. This is assessed by household income and can provide up to £1863 (SFE), £1862 (Wales) or £1538 (Northern Ireland) of support per year (numbers updated for 2022/23 academic year). You can apply through your relevant student finance body when you apply for your student loan.

How can the Advice Hub help me with finance for parents and guardians?

We can help you establish what you’re eligible for and support you to make sure that you’re accessing all the funding you should be receiving while you studying. Applications for funding can sometimes be complex, so we can help you with providing the correct information and supporting evidence. 

Useful resources

SAAS Living Cost Grants

Childcare Fund

Money Helper – support for parents