What to claim ?

geek0

Im due to start uni in september but im not sure where i stand financially as at present i am a single parent who isnt working so i recieve income support. Can i claim a student loan to help with costs or is there some other way of getting help with costs of childcare/travel/books etc ?

Lokolo

What are you studying?
Have you studied at that level before?

gunsandbanjos

Where are you as england and scotland operate on completely different systems.

geek0

I am in England and will be studying Sociology, i have studied to hnc level before and have in the past had one year of a student loan (about 10yrs ago)

bestpud

If you have only had one year of student funding previously, you should be entitled to funding for a three year degree.

Are you going to be full time? And how old are your children?

If so, you need to take out maintenance and tuition fee loans (you will be classed as having done so for benefit purposes even if you do not take the loans) and you will also receive grants. One from student finance and one from your uni.

The end result is you should be no worse off than you are on benefits, but of course, you have to pay it back.

You should also receive help with childcare costs through student finance, and I think you will still receive housing benefit, if that applies to you. You would be exempt form council tax as a full time student.

You can also claim IS during the holidays I believe. I asked your childrens' ages because of the new IS rules; I'm not sure how they might affect you if your youngest child is approaching 10/12 years of age.

Unless already sorted, I would advise you to start looking for childcare now, especially if you wish to use the uni nursery, as they book up fast.

If you get really stuck, there will also be a hardship find at your uni, which you can apply to.

I don't think the student finance forms for 2009/10 are out yet but please someone correct me if I am wrong.

Fab subject btw - very interesting!

But a word of warning: mature students are not 'allowed' to study for the love of it, or indeed anything non-vocational, and you will be asked time and again where your degree will take you!

geek0

bestpud wrote: »

If you have only had one year of student funding previously, you should be entitled to funding for a three year degree.

Are you going to be full time? And how old are your children?

If so, you need to take out maintenance and tuition fee loans (you will be classed as having done so for benefit purposes even if you do not take the loans) and you will also receive grants. One from student finance and one from your uni.

The end result is you should be no worse off than you are on benefits, but of course, you have to pay it back.

You should also receive help with childcare costs through student finance, and I think you will still receive housing benefit, if that applies to you. You would be exempt form council tax as a full time student.

You can also claim IS during the holidays I believe. I asked your childrens' ages because of the new IS rules; I'm not sure how they might affect you if your youngest child is approaching 10/12 years of age.

Unless already sorted, I would advise you to start looking for childcare now, especially if you wish to use the uni nursery, as they book up fast.

If you get really stuck, there will also be a hardship find at your uni, which you can apply to.

I don't think the student finance forms for 2009/10 are out yet but please someone correct me if I am wrong.

Fab subject btw - very interesting!

But a word of warning: mature students are not 'allowed' to study for the love of it, or indeed anything non-vocational, and you will be asked time and again where your degree will take you!

Thanks Bestpud , i will be applying to my local authority who i think cover the fees for the course which is full time 3 years ( at least thats what i thought i could be wrong)?, so am i to understand that my entire living costs would no longer be income support but entirely made of loans that i have to repay and some form of grant to top it up?
My child will be 8 when i start university i think its 12 yrs old when u have to go back to work. The childcare will be pre/after school if needed.
And as for where the degree will take me, to the career i really want is my hope lol.

Taiko

Your local authority won't have a thing to do with you as an 09/10 starter, you'll come under the big Student Finance England umbrella.

Regardless of the course length, you would be eligible (providing the course is designated by the DIUS) for funding for the full duration. If you have to repeat any years or transfer backwards support will be restricted.

As a lone parent, you'd be ok for Special Support Grant, Parents Learning Allowance, Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan and possibly childcare. Forms and guidance is available from https://www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance.

Oldernotwiser

geek0 wrote: »

Thanks Bestpud , i will be applying to my local authority who i think cover the fees for the course which is full time 3 years ( at least thats what i thought i could be wrong)?, so am i to understand that my entire living costs would no longer be income support but entirely made of loans that i have to repay and some form of grant to top it up?
My child will be 8 when i start university i think its 12 yrs old when u have to go back to work. The childcare will be pre/after school if needed.
And as for where the degree will take me, to the career i really want is my hope lol.

You have to take out all the loans and student funding available and this is counted as income when assessing you for means tested benefits. You should be no worse off as a student than you would be living on benefits.

At the end of this year you can no longer claim IS if your child is 10 or over and this age will go down to over 8 at the end of 2010. This would mean that, even if you didn't go to university you'd have to come off IS and go on to JSA in October next year anyway.

By the way, what is your career aim with a Sociology degree - not many people use this subject vocationally.

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You have to take out all the loans and student funding available and this is counted as income when assessing you for means tested benefits. You should be no worse off as a student than you would be living on benefits.

At the end of this year you can no longer claim IS if your child is 10 or over and this age will go down to over 8 at the end of 2010. This would mean that, even if you didn't go to university you'd have to come off IS and go on to JSA in October next year anyway.

By the way, what is your career aim with a Sociology degree - not many people use this subject vocationally.

I thought it was over 7s as from October 2010?

Either way, I think you need to check that won't cause you problems half way through your course OP.

Are students allowed to finish their course if they started it before their child was too old for them to claim IS?

Second the sociology question too. I've seen too many students (even mature ones :rolleyes:) get to level three and then suddenly discover the degree will not take them anywhere specific!

I remember hearing two mature students moaning to an external examiner that they'd reached their third year without any careers advice. When it was pointed out there is a service, they said, yes, they knew that, but it seemed wrong we are expected to go and find it for ourselves!!!

My friend's face was an absolute picture (she's not often speechless) so I dread to think what mine was like!

Crazy!!

Oldernotwiser

bestpud wrote: »

I thought it was over 7s as from October 2010?


!

You're right, I meant 8 and over. As far as being half way through the course goes, I expect it'll depend on how much of a benefits "top up" is being taken after student finance is allowed for. Definitely a case for the Lone Parent Advisers!

As far as careers advice goes, I'm obviously going to agree with you! I've seen lots of students embark on Sociology degrees (Criminology as well) when really a Social Work degree would get them where they want to go so much better.

geek0

Thanks for all the advice everyone, i am hoping to go into either a social work or counselling position, it does state in the guidelines for the course that it would be sufficient for an entry level into these careers. There is an option to do a social work degree but it limits you in career options more so than taking one of the social science degrees on offer, it is also possible to move onto a dual degree on the second year from the social sciences and the sociology/psychology degree is something i would be interested in moving towards if they will allow me at the time. It is personal experience rather than academic that has led me to this path, and while i have an idea where i want to take this i would like to do some voluntary work to be 100% sure which area i would like to concentrate on when ive finished studying . As for the benefits issue if i have to seek work then i will take part time when required too, ive seen other lone parents manage the balance and im sure i will too.