Childcare Grant for student parents
Lesson 12 of 15 in our free Student Finance guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.
Shown for England. Some rules here are different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the lesson shows your nation's version.
This lesson is in the full version.
Free with a code from your uni, college, council, landlord or employer (worth £600/year). Lesson 1 of Student Finance is free for everyone.
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Questions you'll answer
In England, the Childcare Grant pays 85% of costs up to a weekly limit. Nursery for one child costs £180 a week. How much could the grant pay each week?
Dev is a full-time undergraduate in England with two children in registered childcare costing £450 a week. What's the most the grant can pay weekly?
Quick facts
- Myth: “The Childcare Grant has to be paid back like a loan.” — It's a grant. You don't repay it.
- Fact: “The childcare has to be with a registered or approved provider.” — Informal care from a friend or relative usually doesn't count unless they're registered.
- Fact: “You can usually get it for a child aged 14 but not 16 (unless they have special educational needs).” — The child must be under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs.
- Myth: “You can get it even while your partner claims Tax-Free Childcare.” — You can't get it if you or your partner claim Tax-Free Childcare or the childcare part of Universal Credit. Work out which scheme gives you more.