Entitlements for students

moneypanicker

Hi i'm wondering if anyone can help. DH is possibly looking into retraining as a teacher he already has a degree so it would be a 1 year pgce. It's all hypothetical at mo i'm just looking into it to see whether we would be able to afford it. I've looked on entitled to but is states that is cannot give advice for full time students.

Currently we get just basic element of tax credits and child benefit for 3 children. I work 20 hours a week annual income about 16,000 ish. If dh did do this we would require quite a bit more childcare than we do at mo. Currently we use childcare vouchers from hubbys work.

Does anyone know if we may be entitled to anything? I don't think he'll be able to get a student grant as he has had one in the past.

Any help gratefully received
Thanks

karenx

Ask student services at the uni if they have help towards childcare. If answer is no then you wont be entitled to any through tax credits as it requires both of you to be working 16hours plus per week. Uni might be able to offer student loans too.
You may qualify for a little more tax credits with your partner not working.

Oldernotwiser

Have you included all the student funding in your planning? PGCEs, particularly in shortage subjects, are quite well funded and may include childcare help.

Have a look at http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/fundinginengland/postgrad_funding.aspx
for further information.

Tehya

Hi, rather than the PGCE has your hubby considered training via the GTP (Graduate Teacher Programme) this can be better than the PGCE as it takes the same amount of time but you're actually employed by a school for a salary of around £15,000+ as they pay you on the unqualified teacher pay-scale. You learn on the job but are given the usual PPA time out of the classroom as well as extra time for the theory side of teaching.

I've worked alongside some GTP teachers and I have to say they are usually great teachers.

A good way of getting a school to employ you on this is to offer to work voluntary for a while, they get to know you and you start to get a feel for what it's like to be at the chalk face. Another good thing about this route is the chance of a permanent position at the end of it. The school I've just left had employed several of our teachers after completing their GTP year.

Good luck to hubby, Tehya

PS get him to check out the TDA site http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/employmentbased/gtp/about.aspx

Tehya

Oops sorry I see Oldernotwiser (fab name by the way ) beat me to it with the TDA link.

missk_ensington

Hi, if youre husband did a PGCE he would get about £5,000 bursary (I dont know the exact amount) or more if he's training in a shortage subject. You dont need to declare this income to tax credits (or at least everyone I know from uni who went on to do a PGCE when we graduated says you dont have to, and they never have). You could get your childcare paid for through tax credits or enquire about a Childcare Grant - your hubbies prospective 'student support' faculty should be able to advise on this if you give them a call at the uni he's going to be studying at.

moneypanicker

thanks all very much for input - will have a look at it all. Its hard to do work experience as works full time, he did have experience in schools but this was a while ago and i know things change a lot!!

Is 36 too old to retrain as a teacher? It would be for primary.

Tehya

moneypanicker wrote: »

thanks all very much for input - will have a look at it all. Its hard to do work experience as works full time, he did have experience in schools but this was a while ago and i know things change a lot!!

That's a good start, don't worry too much about any voluntary work it would be just another way to get his foot in the door. Some schools love GTP teachers as they get most of the wage and training costs back from the government so see it as a way to train someone on site as well as a way to get to know you before offering any permanent position.

Is 36 too old to retrain as a teacher? It would be for primary.

No, most heads like people coming in with some life experience, they're still cheaper than an experienced teacher but have a certain maturity as well. Being male's a good situation as primary schools are really lacking in male role models. I say go for it, it's a great environment, the kids are fab (I worked in a very deprived area with lots of social issues) and job satisfaction is great. Oh my I sound like a walking advert for the TDA. :rotfl:

Tehya

Oldernotwiser

moneypanicker wrote: »

thanks all very much for input - will have a look at it all. Its hard to do work experience as works full time, he did have experience in schools but this was a while ago and i know things change a lot!!

Is 36 too old to retrain as a teacher? It would be for primary.

No, certainly not too old to retrain.

It might be worthwhile to use some of his annual leave to do a voluntary school placement; it could be a good investment in his future.

(By the way, just to check, he does have GCSE English, Maths and Science at grade C or over, doesn't he?)

Kimitatsu

karenx wrote: »

Ask student services at the uni if they have help towards childcare. If answer is no then you wont be entitled to any through tax credits as it requires both of you to be working 16hours plus per week. Uni might be able to offer student loans too.
You may qualify for a little more tax credits with your partner not working.

To get working tax credits it only requires one of you to be working 16 hours plus a week, your childcare would be paid up to 80% as long as it was an ofsted approved supplier. There is a premium if you work over 30 hours a week though.

At the Uni you will also find there is a harship fund for those on low incomes and depending on the subject he wants to teach there are often golden hello's or incentives for sciences and maths which can be several thousand pounds.

If you can stick out the year, its a good career with guaranteed pay rises for the first 5 years, so it may be worth the short term budgeting for the long term gain.

Oldernotwiser

Kimitatsu wrote: »

depending on the subject he wants to teach there are often golden hello's or incentives for sciences and maths which can be several thousand pounds.

.

Not for primary as there are no shortages,