WIBU to ask for Uni to pay for my childcare in this scenario?

[5footmama]

I am a Degree Apprentice and have a small child (18m).

usually I am at Uni 1 day a week (9:30-12:30) and child is in nursery when i am at work (mon-fri 9-3pm are nursery hours - except Wednesday morning when dd is with her auntie. She is able to do this because she is free to look after dd until 2pm)

I am due for a block release in the middle of June. This will be Mon-Thurs 9-5.

So I will have to put DD into nursery 8:30-5:30 for M,T,T. and including the wednesday afternoon. So an additional 3 hrs each day - or12 hrs for the week. This will be around £108.

all fine - happy to pay the child care.

BUT

These past to semesters, the lectures have been advertised for a start of 9am and supposed to run until noon. but have actually started at 10am and finished around 11:30. This hasn't impacted me as Auntie looks after DD anyway - even though it's annoying to only get half the allotted time...

So my AIBU is: IF the lectures/tutorials start late and/or end early for the block release (eg if lectures start at 9:30, finish at noon and the tutorial is non-existent, as per previous semesters...) WIBU to chase the uni for ''refunding' the additional cost of childcare that I had to secure prior to the course starting that wasn't needed?

OP, I think you've had a hard time and some very unhelpful answers.

I don't think you can claim the money back. But I do wonder if you can ask for more info from uni. You may not need a nursery, but instead a childminder who will do shorter sessions?

Also see if there is any support you are eligible with around the costs.

Raise the issue generally with your uni as it is disadvantaging parents and unis do mostly want to support that group.

And finally - good luck and bloody well done for doing this course whilst parenting a young child, I take my hat off to you

they are saying that my compulsory lectures are from 9am - 5pm

Because you’re a full-time student. You’re expected to be available for a 40 hour week.

Why don’t you just email the tutor and ask what time the session is starting and ending as you need to manage your childcare costs? I work on degree apprenticeships and would have absolutely no problem responding to a simple question like that. It’s really not a big deal.

Your student finance should be paying for a significant lump of any child care costs. So that's already paid based on the information you've given them.

@gildalily

Your student finance should be paying for a significant lump of any child care costs. So that's already paid based on the information you've given them.

As several posters have pointed out, degree apprenticeships are different. They don't get any SFE funding as their employer is paying.

@titchy & OP. Apologies. Hadn't read the full thread.

I agree with picturesandpickles. I don't know about childcare funding but I don't think your lectures should be starting so late and finishing early really. Didn't happen where I went to uni apart from rarely.

@IntoAir

they are saying that my compulsory lectures are from 9am - 5pm

Because you’re a full-time student. You’re expected to be available for a 40 hour week.

erm. I'm not a full time student. thanks though.

How many contact hours a week is the course advertised? And are they dropping below that? If possibly you might be able to raise a complaint with regards to incorrect advertising under the consumer care act, which might lead to a refund of fees if you pursue it far enough.

@SmallPrawnEnergy

How many contact hours a week is the course advertised? And are they dropping below that? If possibly you might be able to raise a complaint with regards to incorrect advertising under the consumer care act, which might lead to a refund of fees if you pursue it far enough.

It’s a degree apprenticeship, so the employer funds it through the apprenticeship levy.

There has to be a minimum of 20% off the job study for an apprenticeship degree.

Some of this comes from attendance at Uni.

If Uni are messing OP about with start and finish times, she needs to put in a complaint or get her employer to speak to them, as that is who the contract is with.

Rules for apprenticeships have nothing to do with the consumer credit act.

I would just use the extra daytime childfree time to do other necessary tasks.

It’s a degree apprenticeship, so the employer funds it through the apprenticeship levy.
Rules for apprenticeships have nothing to do with the consumer credit act.
I didn’t read it was an apprenticeship, my apologies. Having previously worked in a university marketing department we had to be shit hot on the correct information for degree courses as that does fall under consumer rights.

@SmallPrawnEnergy

It’s a degree apprenticeship, so the employer funds it through the apprenticeship levy. Rules for apprenticeships have nothing to do with the consumer credit act. I didn’t read it was an apprenticeship, my apologies. Having previously worked in a university marketing department we had to be shit hot on the correct information for degree courses as that does fall under consumer rights.

No worries. A few people on the thread hadn’t realised it was a degree apprenticeship, so she has been getting some incorrect advice.

Degree apprenticeships are still new to a lot of people and there is some confusion about how they work, unless you are involved in them.

I don’t think you’ll get a refund but why can’t you just use the extra time to do some independent study/coursework/reading?