Hi, I’ve just accepted an Unconditional Offer, starting in September and I have a 1 year old (will be 2 by then). I’m planning on getting him in his nursery for 1 day a week over summer to settle him in, then 4 days come September.
I’ve put aside the money required for the registration fee and month in advance (£265 in total for 1 day) but I’m just wondering what will happen come September? I’m eligible for the childcare grant and have applied/ sent his birth certificate to SFE. But the grant isnt started to be paid to the nursery until after I’ve enrolled the week before my lectures start, not a problem as I won’t need the 4 days until then anyway.
However, the nursery require payment a month in advance. So i’ll have paid for 1 day a week in advance and will need to come up with an extra £643! That’s a lot of money for me. Has anyone been in this position before? Do I just have to scrimp and save all over summer?! I’m not sure I could even raise half that amount in that time tbh. I’ve thought about asking the nursery if I could pay the extra once my maintenance loan comes in BUT the way universal credit works, I wont get any other income apart from my part time job and maintenance loan all year and need £6200 for my rent alone, as well as my uni parking permit, laptop, books etc. I’m thinking I’m going to have to make a choice to either be skint over summer or skint through the first term? Can the nursery not take the month in advance from the grant?
TIA