Help with finance for a mature student please!

diaboliquesaint

Hi all,
I'm lost in the maze of information called the internet. Feeling a bit confused so I was hoping somebody could give some advice.
I am 27, my partner is 24 and we have a 1 year old baby. I have unfortunately been on ESA benefit for 4 months, although now getting over a few problems and looking for part time work again. Anyway, I am applying for a foundation degree, in view to going onto a full time degree later. I'm not sure how it would work with the finance? I know I could get a student loan but would my partner be able to get anything in benefits as she will be with the baby, and would we still get housing benefit?
Does anybody know if there is any other support for a mature student like myself?
thanks

rapunzelz86

Here you will find all the advice on this you need, and you know its correct and trustworthy
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/index.htm

MrsManda

Do you know what you want to do a degree in? If you do, it may be a good idea for you to try to do a Foundation Year which is attached to a full degree - it makes funding easier as you can apply for the full number of years. As the student loans are usually the number of years + 1 for a false start I'm not sure whether if you do them separately you get funding for both - Taiko or Student_Advisor I'm sure will be along with more details
If you fill in the Student Finance Calculator on Direct.gov.uk it'll give you a rough idea what to expect. Plus if you look HERE you'll find other information about what you may be entitled to on top of the usual student loans package: Parent's Learning Allowance, if your partner doesn't work then you may get Adult Dependents Grant, if your child goes to childcare you may get a childcare grant.
If after you've claimed everything you are entitled of the above and you are still classed as being on a low income then you/your partner may also be able to receive income dependent benefits.
As a student you don't pay council tax so your partner will get the 25% single person discount.
HTH

Oldernotwiser

MrsManda wrote: »

Do you know what you want to do a degree in? If you do, it may be a good idea for you to try to do a Foundation Year which is attached to a full degree - it makes funding easier as you can apply for the full number of years.

Funding for a full time Foundation Degree is exactly the same as funding for a full degree, as is the top up to this if the OP wants to do it.

MrsManda

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Funding for a full time Foundation Degree is exactly the same as funding for a full degree, as is the top up to this if the OP wants to do it.

thanks ONW, I wasn't sure as my cousin was advised to appy for the whole thing together to ease SF, but I knew someone would be

student_advisor

Is your ESA income based or contributions based and do you get DLA?

It is not possible to say whether or not you would continue to receive housing benefit at the moment.

You should get a tuition fee loan (paid straight to your uni), a maintenance loan, either the maintenance grant or the special support grant (need the info above to decide), plus, as MrsManda said, probably parent's learning allowance, childcare grant & adult dependant's grant.

Will get back to you with figures when we now more about your ESA etc. I know you're looking for work, but I'm making the assumption you'll remain on that for the time-being.

Oldernotwiser

student_advisor wrote: »

Is your ESA income based or contributions based and do you get DLA?

It is not possible to say whether or not you would continue to receive housing benefit at the moment.

You should get a tuition fee loan (paid straight to your uni), a maintenance loan, either the maintenance grant or the special support grant (need the info above to decide), plus, as MrsManda said, probably parent's learning allowance, childcare grant & adult dependant's grant.

Will get back to you with figures when we now more about your ESA etc. I know you're looking for work, but I'm making the assumption you'll remain on that for the time-being.

If the OP is looking for work then s/he won't be eligible for ESA but may be able to get JSA until the course starts.

whacks

I thought there wa somethign called permitted work for those wanting to do less then 16 hours to see if they might be avle to cope with returning to work.

Oldernotwiser

whacks wrote: »

I thought there wa somethign called permitted work for those wanting to do less then 16 hours to see if they might be avle to cope with returning to work.

There is,but it's quite limited.

diaboliquesaint

hi again and thanks for all the info. I will have a look at the sites you advised too.
It is income based esa I believe.
I also spoke to somebody from InTraining (pathways) today and he advised that as long as I am still eligible for esa then education and training can count as though it is permitted work so I can do at least the first year without losing any benefits. I'm quite impressed with that, I thought it would be much more difficult.
I am still looking into other things as well though.
Thanks again!

Indie_Kid

If you're on income based esa, you may lose some of your esa. Whatever you're entitled to in the terms of loans and grants, is taken into account. There are some things that are disregarded and some are ignored completely..