Correspondance courses and tax credits

gravitytolls

Hello,

I'm not sure if I'm putting this in the right place, so please feel free to bung me somewhere else if you think it's best.

My husband and I would like to become better qualified, obviously so we can improve our lot with better paid jobs.

Correspondance courses would be the ideal option, as with 7 children, of varying ages, and the amount of travelling they ahve to do from school, evening classes would be difficult. John works hard all day thatching rooves, so he's too knackered to do much once home anyway.

So basically, what I want to know is, can we get any help with fees?
We receive both working tax and child tax credits. But courses are pretty expensive.

One other thing, if we wanted to do the same course, could we buy one course but enter 2 people for examination?

Any recommendations for the best provider of correspondance/online courses?

Many thanks everybody, I know I can rely on good advice from my friends on MSE.

CIS

Depending on your incoem and other benefits, you may get up to £595 of course fees paid through and open university and up to £250 grant.

The fee details are set out here
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/about/p6_1.shtml

You would each have to enter the course seperately, but the same amount of course grant would aplly to both of you as the award is based on household income and circumstances.

For the courses the provide the OU are one of the most respected universities around, Iam on to my 4th course with them and haven't had any problems.