Studying a degree and claiming universal credit

[Mumto2chunks]

Hi everyone I’m wondering if someone is clued up to explain something to me. I’ve been reading online but just getting more and more confused!

When I was 18 I finished a level 3 course. When I was 20 I went to uni, completed one year and a term of the second year then dropped out at 21 bevause I got pregnant with my first baby. Haven’t been in education and have since had another baby who is now 3 months. I’m now a single mother too. I’ve decided I’d like to go back and study nursing to get a decent job within the nhs to support us myself (I have been on full universal credit which I hate).
To do this I need to do an access to HE course which I have a place on to start next month and I’ve applied for an advanced learner loan but not heard back yet. Then I’d be applying to go to uni September 2021.
My children are aged 2.5 and 3 months. Am I able to still keep getting UC while studying? I’m aware that I can’t take any maintenance loans as I already get housing benefit included in my UC but can I still get bursaries as a single parent with low income/benefits?
Can I even still get the funding as I’ve already done a level 3 btec aged 18? I got my first level 3 free as I was 17 when I started but I read somewhere that you can do 4 and get funding for them? Can I still get a degree level funding if I’ve already done half a degree course? Do the nhs fund healthcare courses still or do I have to apply for finance like everyone else?
I’m aged 24 if that changes anything.

Thank you!

Commenting to follow as I'm really interested in a mature student course at my local college that involves 2 days a week on a volunteer placement but I'm not sure if I'd still receive UC

Also I read somewhere that you cannot claim UC while studying if your children are over the age of you having to look for work as one of your commitments. It said the age was 1 but I thought my commitments are that I don’t have to look for work until my youngest is 3. I’m not really sure though. My youngest would be 1 when I start university in September 2021.

@ShalomToYouJackie I’m sure my work coach told me that I could keep claiming UC as long as I didn’t take a maintenance loan (you can get a tuition loan) as obviously that’s to help with rent and living costs but UC already pay that. I was more interested to know if I can accept bursary’s (the advanced learner loan bursary) and if I could actually get student finance to begin with given I have studied before.

I would suggest trying to make an appointment with a financial adviser at the college where you want to do your access course as they’ll have seen this before.

The advanced learner loan is just the one loan for your access course, you can’t get a maintenance loan on top.

When you move into your nursing degree you’ll be entitled to the full maintenance loan (around 9k outside London and increase yearly), a bursary of between 5k and 8k and support with childcare as well as any bursaries or scholarships your university offers, so you’ll be probably be much better off on student finance than on UC

I receive Universal Credit as a full time postgraduate student who is a single parent to 2 children who will both be at secondary school from September. I've had no problems with it and they don't require me to work. They take into account some of my student income but not much of it.