Childcare Funding

Katiedale73

Hi, I'm a mature student with two kids, starting a degree at Birmingham Uni next week. My son will be in nursery for three days, at a cost of £32 per day. I don't work and my partner earns around £32,000 per annum. It may seem like a lot of money, but when you take out the mortgage plus other bills, debts and weekly travel/living costs, it really isn't.

My worry is that I've been turned down for childcare funding due to our fabulous wealth (you should see the diamonds I'm dripping in) and we don't have £96 a week just knocking about.

The Child Tax Credit people said on the phone that they would pay half of the money each week, but they worry me because each year they take money back for overpayments (when we only ever get the basic £545 anyway - how are we overpaid? Another grumble for another day), so I wonder whether I should take them up on it or not.

Is there anywhere else I could get funding for childcare costs that people know of? Does anyone have experience with Access to Learning Funds and childcare costs at Uni?

Thanks for any help in advance

Katie

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i have been in the same position to you. but transferrred my credits this year to ou to complete my degree, due to this issue.
i have remonstrated with the funding / grant people as my husband earns also £32k, however we have a huge mortgage etc.

my fees at leicester were almost £3k per year + £2.5k for childcare + parking / travel / books etc. i just found myself in overdraft all the time.

what bugged me that i was the only student on my course who had to pay for the education, one was a refugee, another a lesbian who lives with her partner and has had a civil partnership, their combined income was £60k+. as they were both senior social workers. i could go on about the other people on my course but i wont.

my ou course was paid for by saving up my tesco clubcard points (worth 4 x as much) and if i were to pay for it alone it would be less than £1k. now that i have preschool funding for little one i manage to get her into nursery for 2 days so that i can concentrate with my studies.

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