Childcare Grant for F/T HE Students

Acc72

I was just reading about childcare grants for full time HE students in England which covers 85% of childcare costs.


I understand that this grant is not repayable - is this correct ?


Also, does anybody know (or have links?) if this is means tested on family income ?


Many thanks for any help.

[Deleted User]

it is means tested my dd can't get it for her return to uni in sept as her partner earns more than..wait for it...£9000,SF even admitted that nowhere was this made clear when applying for student loans,luckily with our help she will be able to afford the child care she needs without it its probable that she would have had to abandon uni

Maggie.Moo_2

Here's the full info about the Childcare Grant.

It's not always 85% as it's capped at X per week (before my daughter was eligible for 15 hours free entitlement I only received about 60% of my fees in the form of the grant).

The grant is not repayable - anything labelled as "grant" does not need to be repaid, only those labelled as "loan" will be expected to be repaid once you're earning over a certain amount each year (£21,000 I think).

Household income is one of the criteria affecting eligibility so it may be best to contact Student Finance for advice. Be aware that there are also requirements as outlined on the 'Eligibility' page of the link above.

Bonus: A student eligible for the Childcare Grant is also typically entitled to other grants (some of which replace part of the loans received) and only "maintenance" loans and grants are taken into consideration when calculating entitlement to housing benefit and tax credits - although still ensure you declare this to the relevant people to prevent negative consequences.