Single parents and student finance

[MamaPingu]

Just a bit of a general question really!

When I start uni I will have to quit my job or else I'd never see DS. So I will therefore lose my wage and tax credits.

If you were unemployed before uni, are you in a better position financially now you're at uni?

I'm waiting to hear back from student finance and I'm concerned I'm going to be skint.
But someone I know said uni really help parents out and someone he knew was given £18k a year in total !!

I'm probably fretting over nothing but was wondering how other people get on at uni as single parents

[MamaPingu]

Bump!

[Nightwish]

You will still get child tax credits.
Do you rent? If so you may get a bit of housing benefit.
I am not a lone parent (have been during my degree and it was pretty much the same) but my partner is as at college with no financial support at all, we manage as a family of four on my student finance and I work 6 hours a week which does not have much of an impact.

I get from student finance:
Full maintenance loan - Just over £5000
Full special support grant - Around £3000
Parent's learning allowance - Around £1500
Childcare Grant - 85% of childcare costs

We also get child tax credits, some housing benefit (you may get all if you are not working at all, I basically get my earnings from work deducted).

I was not unemployed before but as we are managing to support a family I think we are definitely better off than if unemployed.

If you are worried post over on the student parents forum, you may find more help .

[RealUnreality]

Good luck with uni. WRT to finances, just finishing my 3rd year here and just had my last student loan instalment! I can confirm that as a single parent who was briefly unemployed before uni, I was much better off financially.

You will get full tax credits in addition to extras from student finance, plus most universities have an access to learning fund which favours single parents (amongst others e.g. final year students) which will add an additional £1000 PA (approx. depending on uni).

Hope that helps