To wonder wtf the government expects single parents to do?

[RocksThatIGot]

I have just been given a place on an access course, as I want to study to become a social worker. I am a single mum to two dc, and I have had a nightmare few years having been in an emotionally abusive relationship, and subsequently had to go to court several times (13 and counting) to face my abusive ex. So I have been earning money where I can but the court thing has taken over my life for the last 18 months or so and because of legal aid taking any money I do earn in contributions, it just hasn't made any sense to earn money, especially with the stress of what has been going on.

I am aware of the changes coming to benefits with the universal credit, which it seems are going to adversely affect the lone parents who are self employed, like me! So I have applied to college as I have inspired by the social workers dealing with my court case, and I want to be able to give my dc a better life. I know it will be a long slog with 4 years of study, but I am determined to do it.

So I just got a place at college, and went to see about getting financial help with childcare and travel costs (the nearest college doing the course I need is 40 miles away). And it turns out that, guess what, the government has scrapped all that financial help, as of this year! I have been told that i can apply to the college for a bursary but this is not going to be very much and unlikely to even cover half of my travel costs. So I have no idea how I am going to survive the year of this course. I'm just so angry that the government are doing everything they can to make it impossible for people to be on benefits, but at the same time they are making it impossible for single parents to study and get into employment! Am I missing something here?

I'm not expecting that forever, the access course is one year and then i will have student loans after that.

Eurgh - if there's one thing I can't stand it's the "you should have thought of that before you had children hmm....". We don't all have complete control of when, precisely, we have children, or when things happen in our lives. And god forbid anyone should make a mistake - it's off to the back of the queue for you! Apparently

People narking about taxpayer support should be reminded that if the OP is successful in retraining then she will, of course, be making a greater contribution back into the tax system through her greater contributions when she begins to earn more as a result of retraining.

The situation for student parents really is very bad. Even worse for parents at colleges, but even at Universities a parent on a fulltime degree will get much less in the way of support than if they were unemployed. In what way does that make any sense? And in most cases they would also get much less support with childcare than if they were working full time too, since the only provision from childcare is often from a uni administered childcare fund, which is often in great demand, is not guaranteed, and only covers part of the cost of a limited number of hours of childcare - which the recipient is usually required to pay for themselves in advance.

Our higher education system is entirely set up to cater to the needs of 18-22 year olds with no other commitments and generous parental support. Our student bodies are more diverse now, and administrations should be working to respond to this, rather than moving in the other direction and cutting off the limited funds available entirely.

Just delay until they start school then, go via the OU or work part time as well as study like thousands do.

Your student loan after wont cover everything so you will still be reliant on state help all through your course and even after as its unlikely you will walk into your dream job.

You chose to do children first with no secure job behind you so now need to either take any job or find a way to finance the chices you want to make yourself.

"Even worse for parents at colleges, but even at Universities a parent on a fulltime degree will get much less in the way of support than if they were unemployed. In what way does that make any sense?"

Um because they are already receiving financial support for their course? You cannot have it all ways. There is not an endless pot of money.

Firstly let me say that I've been a single dad for nearly a decade so I know very well the struggles of being a lone parent.

But at the same time it seems OP that you are expecting the government to support and pay for the choices YOU are making.

I have absolutely no idea why you feel it is the duty of the government to pay for you to study a college course of your choice.

Do it by all means if you want to. Just don't expect someone else to pay.

its very short sighted niceguy....if OP studies and becomes a SW then she will likely pay more tax and earn a better wage/ put more back into the economy/claim less benefits long term

It certainly was not OPs choice to be abused by her X

How do you know she will claim less benefits? Having a SW qualification or any qualification is no guarantee. Anything could happen - she could have another baby, become a carer, leave the country..

"I have absolutely no idea why you feel it is the duty of the government to pay for you to study a college course of your choice."

Whilst i agree that the OP should accept that she has to wait until her children are of school age. We want people in SW and the NHS/caring professions who have life experience.

I didn't have the opportunity to go down the A level/Uni route growing up, so i did this as a mature student. Many people don't have the chance,becasue of a varity of factors, family, poor standard of education, ill health, addiction etc.

The best SW that i have worked with and Family Support Workers etc have life experience of many situations, MH and LP being two (which the OP has).

Education is supposed to be a "right", very few Uni's will accept under 25's onto a SW BA, so we need adequate funding to allow for that.

SW didn't work well,when it was full of middle class pearl and twin set wearing women (as well as suited men).

I have known people to become unemployed to be able to study.

The effect of Universal Credit on studying has been a subject of debate, recently, as has the top Uni's being unable to attract "disadvantaged" applicants.

YY crashdoll i dont know anything. but she is far less likely to be as dependant on benefits if she has a professional career, with progression and in which she is interested; compared with being forced into unskilled work in which she has no interest and employment benefits are less

crashdoll - how do you know anything will happen? I think that the history of higher education in the UK is long enough for us to generalise about predicted outcomes. I don't think anyone generally thinks that someone with no qualifications and childcare commitments is likely in the grand scheme of things to earn more than a qualified graduate with a vocational degree.

Also, the 'do it if you like but don't expect anyone to pay for it' schtick is so glib. If the OP was on a degree course she would have (limited, inadequate but necessary) support, mostly in the form of loans (and the people telling her to 'get more loans' are way off the mark - student loans are tightly capped, you can't just apply for as much money as you like). The access course is a necessary step on the pathway to the degree, and all the support in the world at degree level isn't going to make a difference unless she can get through the access couse. Removing support from the access course is a short-sighted move.

OP, I've sent you a couple of PMs and hope they help.

Kitty

'its very short sighted niceguy....if OP studies and becomes a SW then she will likely pay more tax and earn a better wage/ put more back into the economy/claim less benefits long term'

How is it short-sighted not to provide full funding for an access course? There are plenty of ways, as pointed out, to do these part-time, from a distance, get funded for the fees, etc. That way the OP can still work and not have to use childcare or daily travel fees. Then, once she's passed the access course and has a placement on an actual degree course, there are loans available and HB/benefits during term breaks. I cannot see what is unreasonable about this, since the access course is not an actual degree course.

Others have pointed out college courses such as NVQs, for which you can get funding, to get work and then better combine valuable work in related professions whilst studying for the degree (and at which points, both her children will be in school).

PLENTY of people have to structure their studies around all sorts of obstacles, delay things, get qualifications that take less time to achieve than a degree and then work in related professions whilst studying, move, etc etc.

I know exactly how the system works. I am a mature student on a BA social work course and I did an access to social work course. I also know how much the max loans and grants are because I get them! There are lots of non-repayable bursaries in place to support parents - Access to Learning Fund, Childcare Grants, universities offer bursaries to low income families and there is something else but I can't think of it's name off the top of my head. The social work NHS bursary is also quite generous.

I appreciate it is going to be tough this year but there are other options - doing the course PT and working more hours, waiting a couple of years until her children are in school, doing an OU type access course. It is not a unlimited pot of money and I think the OP is expecting far too much.

I don't think your travel and living costs should be covered. Studying isn't a right. Nor do I think being a single parent should give you more access to studying than other people who can't afford to.

However OP you sound very determined and I'm sure you'll get there. Have you considered moving? Surely you'd need to when you start Uni anyway?

Hmmm expat I have to admit to not reading properly . I thought OP was talking about not getting financial help at all, I hadnt realised that she would for the degree, and was only talking about the access course.

Im sure there are solutions in that case

probably is a bit daft though, seeing as they are prepared to fund a degree course

Have you looked at Professional & Career Development Loans? You can borrow up to £10k over a 2 or 3-year period at very low rates. It wouldn't cover the whole course but might be an option for part of it?

I'm not suggesting for a minute that my living costs are covered, I'm just a bit gutted that up until this coming academic year childcare help was available and I've just missed the boat. I know that I will have to fund my living costs myself, through working pt (I have a couple of cunning plans there up my sleeve!).

If a career development loan is over 2/3 years won't that mean that I will have to start paying it back in the middle of my degree (assuming I get a place!).

Steampink I will not need to move to go to uni as there are 3 universities offering the course within reasonable distance from here.

Three universities nearby but no college? That seems odd?

Speak to the college and see if they know about loans etc. You won't be the only one in this tricky boat.

It is short sighted. Support is offered for degree courses for good reason, and if an access course is a prerequisite then it makes sense that this would be supported too. This one evidently used to be supported, and I can understand why the OP feels frustrated that support has been removed from this step. Yes, there are other more circuitous options, and I am sure the OP will pursue them, but that doesn't mean that removing support from full time access courses isn't a bad idea.

Career Development Loans aren't available for everything, nor is lending guaranteed - they are, like commerical loans dependent on your finances and credit history, and the repayment holiday is short, so the OP would likely have to make repayments while she was a student on her degree - which would be prohibitive.

Sorry Op, haven't read the whole thread, but thought I'd mention that a friend of mine did a nursing access course and got some funding through the NHS. She is also working in a hospital and is getting paid, although minimum wage at the moment. Could this be an option? Maybe you could get funding through the NHS or another organisation or do low paid work in the same sector to help fund your course while you build up your experience and qualifications? She also lives in Somerset.

Sorry should add that I know you're doing social work, but perhaps this would work along the same lines as nursing in terms of support for studying and work experience.

Approx 144,000 for someone to 'sit' on IS/JS and HB for 10 years or 5k/10k to help them go to college ...

know which one i prefer

its very short sighted niceguy....if OP studies and becomes a SW then she will likely pay more tax and earn a better wage/ put more back into the economy/claim less benefits long term

In theory...yes. But what if she doesn't? There are no guarantees at all. Maybe a loan system like one for uni students would be applicable here.

It certainly was not OPs choice to be abused by her X
It wasn't the government's fault, nor the taxpayers either so I'm not sure what point you are trying to make.