Help with childcare costs if you are a student

You can get help with childcare costs if you are a part-time or full-time student. There are childcare grants and benefits that you can claim to cover some of the fees. This includes contributions to expenses for living costs or funding a nursery place.

Although there are various ways to save on childcare costs, some benefits apply only to students. Each country has its own schemes for parents to help with the cost of childcare. Claiming other benefits, such as Universal Credit may affect your eligibility for student childcare support.

The below figures are correct for the 2025/26 academic year.

Help with childcare costs for students in England

Parents who study in England can claim Childcare Grant, Care to Learn, Learner Support or Parents’ Learning Allowance to help with childcare costs.

What is the Childcare Grant?

If you are a full-time higher education student in England and you have children under the age of 15, (or under 17 if they have special educational needs), you could receive the Childcare grant. This is up to 85% of your childcare costs or you could get a fixed maximum amount (whichever is less), if you are eligible for student finance.

The Childcare Grant is paid weekly into a Childcare Grant Payment Service account.

The grant is paid in addition to your other student finance. You do not need to pay this money back, but any funds left over at the end of the academic year will be returned to Student Finance England.

How much is the Childcare Grant?

Depending on your household income and the number of children you are responsible for, you can get either 85% of childcare costs or a fixed maximum amount (whichever is less). You pay any remaining costs yourself.

• One child: up to £199.62 a week
• Two or more children: up to £342.24 a week

How do you qualify for a Childcare Grant?

To be eligible for the Childcare Grant, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be a full-time student
• Currently receive or be eligible for undergraduate student finance
• Be a permanent resident in England
• Have a child under 15 years old, (or 17 if they have special educational needs) who are financially dependent on you
• Your childcare provider must be registered with Ofsted

You cannot get the Childcare Grant if:

• You are claiming Tax-Free Childcare, the childcare element of working Tax Credit or Universal Credit
• The NHS is helping you or your partner with childcare costs

Apply for Childcare Grant here.

Care to Learn

If you are under 20 years old and enrolled in a publicly-funded course in school, a sixth-form in school or at sixth-form college, you may be able to benefit from the Care to Learn scheme.

You can use the money to pay for childcare-related expenses, such as deposit, registration fees, childcare taster session (up to 5 days), travelling to the provider or keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays.

Care to Learn: How much can you get?

How much you get from Care to Learn depends on where you live.

• £180 per child per week, if you live outside London.
• £195 per child per week, if you live in London.

Any childcare-related payments are paid directly to your provider. Travel payments go to your school or college who will either fund or arrange travel for you.

How do you qualify for Care to Learn?

You must meet all of the following to be eligible for Care to Learn:

• Be a parent and under the age of 20 at the start of your course
• Be the main carer for your child
• Live in England and either be a British citizen or have the legal right to live and study in England
• Your course is publicly-funded
• Your childcare provider is registered with Ofsted

Apply for Care to Learn here.

What is Learner Support?

If you are over the age of 20 and on a further education course, (for example, studying for an NVQ, BTEC or PGCE) and you struggle financially, you may be eligible for help with childcare costs through the Learner Support scheme.

Learner Support: How much can you get?

The money is paid by your learning provider, which decides how much you will get. Payment could be in the form of a lump sum, a loan or to someone else, e.g. a landlord.

How do you qualify for Learner Support?

To be eligible for Learner Support childcare support, you must be over 20 years of age and your place of study must be funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

You will not be eligible if you already get student finance for higher education or if you are enrolled in a Community Learning Course.

To make a claim, apply directly to your learning provider.

What is Parents’ Learning Allowance?

As a full-time student with children and depending on your household’s income, you could receive help with learning costs, which could free up funds for childcare. 

Parents’ Learning Allowance is paid in addition to your other student finance, does not affect your benefits or tax credit and you do not have to pay it back.

How much Parent’s Learning Allowance can you get?

In the 2025/26 academic year, you could receive between £50 and £2,024 a year, depending on your household income, according to the UK government. The money is paid into your bank account in three installments at the start of each term.

How do you qualify for Parents Learning Allowance?

To qualify, you must be a student from England with children who are dependent on you and either be on a full-time undergraduate course or an Initial Teacher Training course.

Although you could use the money for childcare, you do not need to be paying for childcare to be eligible.

You can apply for Parents’ Learning Allowance as part of your student finance application.

Help with childcare costs for students in Scotland

Universities and colleges in Scotland offer financial help towards childcare for eligible students through further education and higher education funds. Single parents with at least one child may also receive a Lone Parents’ Grant from their learning provider.

What is the Childcare Fund?

Each publicly-funded university and college in Scotland has a Childcare Fund to help students cover registered childcare costs.

Scotland Childcare Fund: How much can you get?

Students who are lone parents with formal registered childcare costs can receive up to £1,215 from the Childcare Fund. However, the fund is limited and therefore some eligible students will not receive support.

How do you qualify for Scotland’s childcare fund?

It is up to the university or college to decide who gets payments and how much they will receive. However, eligible lone parents are entitled to receive payment, pending an assessment of other support they receive towards childcare costs.

To be eligible for the Childcare Fund, you must pay for registered childcare, such as a nursery or pre-school place, after school club, or a childminder.

Additionally, you must meet the following criteria:

• Fulfil residence requirements
• Be over compulsory school leaving age
• Attend a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate course
• Be eligible to have tuition fees paid by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)
• Have used full entitlement of all other available support, such as student loan

What is the Lone Parents’ Grant?

The Lone Parents’ Grant is money paid by the Student Awards Agency Scotland to a parent who is single and has at least one child dependent on them. This includes children you act as a carer for e.g. a younger sibling.

How much is the Lone Parent Grant?

This is an income-assessed grant. How much you receive depends on your household income, including from property and pensions. Benefits are no longer taken into account when calculating the amount of Lone Parents’ Grant paid.

The first £1,067 of any income you have will be excluded.

The maximum amount you can receive is £1,305 a year.

How do you qualify for the Lone Parent Grant?

To be eligible, you must be either legally responsible for a younger sibling or bring up at least one child on your own, i.e. you are single, widowed, divorced or separated.

The child must live with you at least 50% of the time.

You can apply for the Lone Parents’ Grant when you apply for student finance. You must provide proof of being a single parent.

What is the Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant?

You can receive the Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant on top of the Lone Parents’ Grant if you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student. It is money from your college or university to pay towards formal childcare.

How much is the Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant?

Students who are eligible for the Lone Parents’ Grant may also qualify for the Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant (LPCG). 

You can receive up to £1,215, which is to go towards formal childcare such as a nursery, registered childminder or after school club.

How do you qualify for the Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant?

Eligibility criteria include:

• You are an undergraduate or post graduate student
• You are a single parent to at least one dependent child
• You get the maximum amount in student loan
• You have already applied for Lone Parents’ Grant

Help with childcare costs for students in Wales

The Childcare Grant, Financial Contingency Fund and Parents’ Learning Allowance can help you with childcare costs if you are a student in Wales.

Childcare Grant

The Childcare Grant could give you up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs, up to a maximum amount, if you have children in registered and approved childcare.

How much Childcare Grant can you get in Wales?

How much Childcare Grant you could get will be based on the estimated childcare costs you give us, the
number of children you have in childcare and your household income.

In 2025/26, you will get either 85 per cent of the costs or the fixed amount (whichever is lower) and pay the remaining costs yourself.

• One child: up to £192 per week
• Two or more children: up to £329 per week

If you do not have a childcare provider when you apply, the maximum amount you can receive is capped at £147 per week (2025/26) or 85 per cent of actual costs, whichever is less.

After you have chosen a provider and the full costs are known, you will be reassessed.

How do you qualify for the Childcare Grant in Wales?

If your childcare provider is registered with or approved by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales or other appropriate body, you will be able to claim.

You will not be eligible for the Childcare Grant if you or your partner claims Universal Credit, the childcare element of Working Tax Credits, Tax-Free Childcare or NHS Funded childcare grants.

Start your application for the Childcare Grant here.

What is the Financial Contingency Fund?

The Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) is available to students who struggle financially and are likely to leave their education. It helps you cover the costs of childcare.

How much is the Financial Contingency Fund?

Exactly how much you receive is determined by your learning provider.

How do you qualify for the Financial Contingency Fund?

You may qualify for the Financial Contingency Fund if:

• you are over the age of 16
• pay for registered childcare
• have a household income of less than £20,818 per year if you have one child or £23,077 if you have two or more.

Speak to your place of study to apply and for advice.

What is the Parents’ Learning Allowance?

Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA) is an annual payment for students who have one or more financially dependent children. You can apply for PLA to cover some of the extra costs you might have if you’re an undergraduate student who has children.

You don’t have to pay it back.

How much is Parents’ Learning Allowance in Wales?

How much you get depends on your household income, your dependants’ income and whether or not you have a partner.

In 2025/26, you can receive up to £1,945 per year but this will depend on your household income and course intensity, according to the Welsh Government.

How do you qualify for Parents’ Learning Allowance?

To be eligible for Parents’ Learning Allowance, you must provide evidence that your children depend on you.

You can do this by:

• Sending in a copy of birth certificates, certificates of Naturalisation or Home Office documentation confirming your children’s names and dates of birth and;
• Sending in a copy of either your most recent Tax Credit or Universal Credit Award Notice naming all your children, or all pages of your most recent Child Benefit letter naming all children.

Apply for Parents’ Learning Allowance using the application form.

Help with childcare costs for students in Northern Ireland

In addition to the standard student finance package, parents who are students in Northern Ireland can access Childcare Grant, Parents’ Learning Allowance, Care to Learn as well as Support Funds from their learning provider to help with childcare costs.

Childcare Grant

The Childcare Grant is a weekly payment which helps students in Northern Ireland to pay for childcare during term time and holidays.

How much can you get?

The amount you receive depends on your own and your dependants’ income as well as the actual costs of your childcare.

• One child: up to £148.75 per week
• Two or more children: up to £255 per week

How do you qualify?

You can apply for the grant if you are a full-time student and have children under the age of 15, or 17 if they have special educational needs. They must be in approved or registered childcare.

If you or your partner receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, you cannot get the Childcare Grant at the same time.

You can apply for the grant at the same time as you apply for student finance by completing the section about extra help for students with children.

Parents’ Learning Allowance in Northern Ireland

Parents’ Learning Allowance can be used to pay for course-related material and other expenses to free up money for childcare. It is paid in addition to your regular student finance and you do not have to pay it back.

How much is Parents’ Learning Allowance in Northern Ireland?

Parents’ Learning Allowance can get you between £50 and £1,538 per year, depending on your household income.

Eligibility

You do not have to work out if you are eligible before you apply as Student Finance Northern Ireland will do that for you.

However, you must prove that your child is at least mainly financially dependent on you, you must normally live in Northern Ireland, your course must result in a degree, certificate or diploma and your place of study must be eligible for funding from Student Finance NI.

Receiving the Childcare Grant does not affect your eligibility for Parents’ Learning Allowance.

Start your Parents’ Learning Allowance application here.

How do you get Care to Learn in Northern Ireland?

If you are a parent aged between 16 and 20 years old and are studying at a further education college in Northern Ireland, the Care to Learn scheme helps with your childcare costs.

The scheme is also open to you if you expect to become a parent during your course.

How do you qualify for Care to Learn in Northern Ireland?

To be eligible you must be between 16 and 20 years old at the start of your course. You must also be the main carer of your child/children. You must also meet the Education Regulations residency requirements.

Care to Learn is open to full-time and part-time students in further education and higher education.

You will not qualify for Care to Learn if you receive childcare support from other sources, such as Tax Credits and Childcare Grant Support Funds.

To apply for Care to Learn, contact your learning provider.

Northern Ireland Support Funds

Universities and colleges in Northern Ireland can provide financial support to people who are struggling.

Support funds are provided by The Department for the Economy (DfE) to eligible students. All decisions about individual awards are made by the relevant university or college.

Support Funds are open to full-time and part-time students in higher education or to those on a postgraduate course.

A learning provider’s Support Fund is allocated on an individual basis and can help with childcare costs, emergencies and living costs.

Each institution has a say in who should receive payments but students with children are prioritised.

There are also other ways to reduce your childcare costs. Visit our Nursery fees advice section to find out more about how you can get help with childcare fees.