What can a full time student claim?

Rainlight

I'll be looking into putting an App in for a full time course for September.

I'm 21.
Live with a single parent that earns a low income.
I'm not sick or ill with anything (I wouldn't think Attention Defecit Disorder would count for anything would it? It just makes me lose slight concentration on rare occasions it's not exactly serious so I expect it not to mean anything).
I have a few course options in mind all of which are full time.

I think that's enough info or do people need more to be sure?

I've looked on google naturally, but I've found that much information it just confused me completely so as of now I don't know what I'm meant to be able to get if anything.

Note:I'm not looking for hundreds of pounds, just anything to cover basic needs, like food and supplies, just enough to get me through a years course.

[Deleted User]

could you not get some part time work to fit round your studies?

princessdon

Higher ed or further ed?

Rainlight

There's a reason it's called Full Time.
Much as I wouldn't mind doing a little something somewhere, it'd be fairly difficult to get any part time job in, maybe in the evenenings but that's out of the question, I need that time for sleep and to make sure my coursework gets done.

It's Further Education, sorry for not posting that I didn't think it would be relevant.

Erinnire

Not for further education, unless its over 16 hours I think you can claim 25% discount on council tax. If it is 15 hours a week or less you could keep JSA. There may also be a 19+ grant at the college. You don't get money from it but my college pays £10.20 a week towards my travel costs and I get a meal token worth £2 a day.

Your best bet is too speak to your local college they will know.

Rainlight

I'm exempt from council tax, I don't know why but I had to pay it so long and eventually they clarified and said I actually didn't have to, it's confusing but I guess that's lucky? I was only having to pay roughly £13 a month (roughly £3 a week) so I was never worried much about that.

What exactly is a grant? I know of student loan things but I don't want to be in debt with it, but I always hear of Grants coming up but I've never exactly understood what they are?

I emailed my college and I'm still waiting on a response there.

This is just a quick question of curiosity not really important, but isn't HE just Maths English and Science? Isn't that only for Secondary School?

Dunroamin

Student loans aren't usually available for FE but you're likely to be doing so few hours in college that a part time job should be no problem - most FE students who are older have jobs.

ETA

HE is level 4 study (degree level) and upwards, whether vocational or academic.

FE is level 3 study (A level/NVQ3/BTEC Nat) or lower and can also be vocational or academic.

BigAunty

Rainlight wrote: »

There's a reason it's called Full Time.
Much as I wouldn't mind doing a little something somewhere, it'd be fairly difficult to get any part time job in, maybe in the evenenings but that's out of the question, I need that time for sleep and to make sure my coursework gets done.

It's Further Education, sorry for not posting that I didn't think it would be relevant.

You don't attend college at the weekends....

The FE courses that I attended only required attendance that amounted to 2.5 days per week (finishing at 4pm), didn't have onerous amounts of homework (couple of hours a week) and lots of the students worked evenings, weekends or during their days off. There were loads of holidays. In fact, the two institutions had careers services that often advertised student term time employment.

Higher Education are things like HNDs, degrees and so forth. HE is more advanced than FE.

The Direct Gov website has a good section on student finance.

Erinnire

Rainlight wrote: »

I'm exempt from council tax, I don't know why but I had to pay it so long and eventually they clarified and said I actually didn't have to, it's confusing but I guess that's lucky? I was only having to pay roughly £13 a month (roughly £3 a week) so I was never worried much about that.

What exactly is a grant? I know of student loan things but I don't want to be in debt with it, but I always hear of Grants coming up but I've never exactly understood what they are?

I emailed my college and I'm still waiting on a response there.

This is just a quick question of curiosity not really important, but isn't HE just Maths English and Science? Isn't that only for Secondary School?

A grant is money that doesn't have to be repayed.
Higher education is degree level and above. I am on a full time FE course at the moment and its only 2 1/2 days a week with about 5-6 hours coursework per week. Would leave plenty of time for a part-time job if you could find one. Most people on my course work around it.

Good luck, returning to education was the best decision I've made in a long time.

princessdon

So it's an access course?

You get nothing on FE courses. There are also funding changes for over 19 from September. Currently over 24 will need to take a loan for fees (but whispers are saying this will be over 19). Guidance isn't yet out.

Your college will have student support and may be able to help, but you will not get any additional benefits and can't claim JSA.

arcon5

Even for higher education I know of plenty of people whom managed to hold down part time work and study at university. In fact one girl I know used to work about 30+ hours per week whilst studying.