Been offered a place at University! How to afford it?

[rockpink]

After a year's hard slog doing access courses and working part time, I've been offered a place full time doing the teaching degree I've dreamed of!

Now I know I can get a student loan for each year's tuition, and I know I'll be exempt from council tax, but I'm not sure what else I can apply for or claim? Would I qualify for income support? Housing benefit?

The university has bursaries and grants for low income families (there's just me at home and my two children who are at Primary school) but I think I'm exempt from applying as the University that's offered me a place wasn't my first choice.

I can't ask my parents to help me out any more as they are getting on a bit now.

Any advice would be gratefully accepted. ...

You won't get income support but you can get housing benefit.

There was a childcare grant too.

You'll also get child tax credit as your student loan/ grant doesn't count as income.

As a parent, there's actually quite a lot of help you can get and I found it easier to manage financially then than I do now working full time.

Sorry when I did mine I got the maximum student loan and then the maximum maintenance or special support grant too to live on.

I'm sure these things still exist but maybe under different names.

www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator/y/2014-2015/uk-full-time/9000.0/away-in-london/0.0/children-under-17,low-income/teacher-training

Just did this calculator ( I put in london so it may be different).

Am on phone so can't do clickable links.

Hi op,

Sorry I have no advice but I am interested so am watching this thread. I am considering doing a degree but as a single parent I have no idea how I will manage

Thank you! I'll try that calculator again, perhaps I've missed something out.

Child tax credit, highest rate as you have nil income for their purposes I think ( do check)
Housing benefit
Bursaries/student loans
Career development loan if necessary

All universities have a student support office with experts in student finance and benefits. Sometimes these are part of the university and sometimes within the student union.

Once you have made a university your firm institution on UCAS, most will be willing to see you and/or offer a telephone appointment to talk you through your position.

Once they are my firm institution? Right that makes sense, I'll email and arrange an appointment to go and see them, I thought about going to citizens advice too?

In my experience, citizens advice are not as clued up on student related benefits as university support services. They have told my students things that were not quite right, but it might be different elsewhere.

I work at Citizen's Advice and I would second Creamteas advice - if you came to us you would probably get some advice about possible benefits and how to apply to student finance but for anything more specialised than that you would be referred onto your university support services who are much more knowledgeable than us in this area.

The gov.uk website seems quite helpful it gives details of the parents learning allowance
www.gov.uk/parents-learning-allowance/overview

the childcare grant
www.gov.uk/childcare-grant

and has a student finance calculator
www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator

You're all stars, thanks!!

I can't offer any advice, but do you know that there is a dedicated MN topic for student parents - I'm guessing that they will be fairly expert in this!

I didn't know that, thank you Senua I'll go and say hi.

First of all check the situation with benefits. I don't know if things have changed with this government but certainly a couple of years ago student parents could claim IS and HB, and could not get the student loan unless they did. Even if you can't claim it full time you should be able to claim it for the summer holidays

www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ssds/welfare/finance/state-benefits-and-council-tax/benefits/income-support/FTSWETC

University gave me same links as webwiz above to look at, benefits office told me to go to citizens advice.
University also told me that as I hadn't made them my first choice I won't get any bursaries or grants from them.
Banging head today!

This is quite a helpful guide to the benefits side of things

www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/money-and-funding/can-i-claim-government-benefits-as-a-student/

and there are further links to tax credits and educational charities and trusts.

I'm a bit confused about the 'first choice' thing - all the universities you apply to are equal choice till you specify which one you want to go to.

I didn't think universities could tell which was your first choice on the UCAS application form unless this is your insurance offer,

I'd asked upfront if I would qualify for a bursary or grant, they said only if their Uni had been my first choice. Ah well...thanks for your help all!

Have you accepted another offer as your firm then, but you're now going to your insurance?

If not then they are your firm and therefore first choice

I haven't accepted anything and only had one offer...

If it's a PGCE the system is different. You do have an order of preference at the application stage. I had a very awkward conversation at my Secondary PGCE interview as to why I'd put two primary choices first.

No, its a three year degree in primary teaching with qts, as I only have A levels.
.I have no idea how this insurance malarky works, I've been on the student room trying to work it out as well!

Did you have to rank them in order when you applied? If not, then it may be applicable to firm/insurance offers. Some applicants will be waiting on those A level results so their 'choice' might depend on the grades they get. I think you need to ring them back to clarify.

Yes I only applied for two and put Northumbria first.