Single Parent considering university

Zeldazog

Hi

Apologies if the answer to this is on site somehwere, but I can't find it. I've also been browsing the web for far longer than is healthy to be on a PC!

I am a single parent, my son is 7. I currently am on income support, in rented accomodation, so get full housing and council tax benefit. I work on day a week (even though I lose any more than £20 of my earnings) - I don't get any maintenance (I just love the CSA).

If I were to go back into full time education, considering an NHS based degree, but not necessarily, what help can I still get?

Does anyone know where I would stand on the matter of benefits, would I still be entitled to income support, housing benefit, etc?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

jellyhead

i only went back part time, and it was 4 years ago so things might have changed but i just stayed on my income support, nothing changed. fees were free because i was on income support. the student union had an 'access' fund and they helped with childcare. i couldn't take out a student loan because i only did 40 credits per year (a full time year is 120 credits, i think you have to do 60 to get a loan). i kind of pleased myself though, i was at the end of my course, i'd already done the first 2 years before i had the baby and i only needed to do the final year, the uni let me choose how much i wanted to do so i chose to spread my final year out over 3 years because i had a toddler with special needs who never slept. the girl down the road has done her degree full time, she has 2 children. she's married though so her financial situation would be different, i think she may have paid for her course out of her husband's wages. she's looking at a PGCE now, she says there are grants for some courses, would your course come with a grant? is it nursing?

good luck with it anyway, sorry i haven't been much help!

claysam

I am currently doing a full time HND. My loan is counted as unearned income (you have to apply if you like it or not), :eek: and if you receive child tax credit (which I unfortunatly do), this then takes you over the threashhold for income support, and as a consequence I know have to pay £13.00 a week towards rent. Although my council tax is still covered, being a student. Which means no more budgeting loans etc. You can apply for income suport during the summer months you are not at university, but then have to sign off as soon as you restart.

The above usually counts with grants also (others may know different).

Spendless

Hi

My SIL did a college course for 3 years when she became a single mum. The 1st year she was able to still be on IS (something to do with the difference between higher and further education-not sure which is which tho), she got help with nursery fees.

After this course finished she did a 2 year HND again she got help with nursery fees but had to have a student loan (ie she had to come off IS). She rented a large terraced house near the college, so she could walk to the nursery and college.When daughter started full-time school she got her in nearest primary so again no travel costs. In the summer she used to get part-time temp work and her mum and friends help her with childcare.

She had 2 flat-mates so they shared the rent between the 3 of them. Not sure about council tax. I beleive she was also able to keep the maintainance off her ex-husband.

It's 9 years since she finished the course. For my SIL though these years were tough she has always had a well paid job since.

HTH

Zeldazog

jellyhead wrote:

i..... she says there are grants for some courses, would your course come with a grant? is it nursing?

To be honest, I am not entirely sure what I want to do yet, and it wouldn't be until next year at the earliest, because I would have to do an access course first.

It won't be nursing, but I have been looking at other NHS careers; I've considered a few options over the years, and yes, I'd possibly be able to get the NHS bursary grant for all of the courses I have considered.

I think I am just at that point, where I am 40 this year, and feel that this is the best opportunity for change whilst I can. I get very restless job wise, and think its because I haven't found the right thing yet.

I wish someone could wave a magic wand at me and tell me what IS!

Zeldazog

claysam wrote:

My loan is counted as unearned income (you have to apply if you like it or not), :eek: and if you receive child tax credit (which I unfortunatly do), this then takes you over the threashhold for income support,.

See this is what worries me, and winds me up. We try and make an effort to better ourselves so we can get a decent job and out of the benefit trap (I'm there at the moment, doesn't matter whether I work 4 or 12 hours, I get exactly the same money in the end, and if I up it from 4 or 5 hours to 16, I still only end up £25 a week better off in the end - that's £2 per hour! Anyway, thats another story) - and they make life even harder.

I didn't know now much loans, grants, etc, are, and I am concerned about being in a situation like that - I can just about manage to balance the books right now, but any less income, or anymore outgoings would be extremely difficult (especially when I would have to consider the additional cost of travelling to the university/college) - I suppose I have to do some research.

Mind you, its worrying who to ask - the staff at my jobcentre plus didn't seem that clued up on income support rules!

Zeldazog

Thanks, Zziggi

Funnily enough, I received an OU leaflet today in the post, and was going to send off for their prospectus to see what is available. And you've just answered the question that I would have asked, could I afford to pay for it.

As I said before, I am undecided as to what to do yet (there are several paths to follow, its deciding the right one) - but its certainly worth me considering OU.

It could be that doing an OU course, whatever the subject, satisfies the part of me that needs to be challenged, so I will definitely be looking into that, too.

Heavens, with all this research I gotta do (have promised myself to go along to a local college open evening this week for starters) I am not sure I have the time to work!

Thank you.

penrith

i've also done an OU degree in the (recent) past. If you know the subject area you are interested in or have any specific questions about the OU, feel free to PM me.

P.S. I too would heartily recommend them

Savvy_Sue

And there is also a student board which has covered studying at the OU and what people are entitled to and NHS bursaries etc.

Good luck!

eml_3

Your loan or bursary is counted as income - NHS bursaries are usually paid over 52 weeks and are counted as income throughout the year. However, an amount is disregared for books and travel and your bursary is not taken into account for child tax credit. NHS students can also get dependents allowance and there is a mature students allowance also.

Basically, your income from student funding will be included when your entitlement to Income Support and Housing Benefit are calculated. For most students, they are actually slightly better off because even though they receive less benefit, they receive more funding. Students can also apply to university access to learning funds - how much you would get will depend on your circumstances and the institution, but this money is a grant and will not have to be repaid.

The student advice centre at the students' union you are planning to study at can usually do a calculation for you to let you know how much you can expect to receive.

jenpoptab

My sister in law started nursing degree in Feb and she is single mum. She isn't able to claim Income support as bursary exceeds applicable amount of IS. She gets some help with Housing benefit and she also gets 70% of childcare costs paid as she has to do funny hours as the course does placement for majority of the week. However the childcare costs have been mucked up by NHS and the childminder is only getting £50 p.w for doing unsociable hours- 7am- 9am and from 3.15pm- 9.30pm. She childminds each day. It may be worth checking all details out before hand in case you also need childcare. Luckily our mum in law is child minder (registered) so she is ok with only getting £50p.w, other childminders may not be so understanding.