Student loans/grants for student parents

[17leftfeet]

Hi everyone

I'm a bit confused and after spending far too long on the phone to student finance I thought I would ask on here for help

I start uni in September and have applied for a student loan

I've been awarded a maintenance loan of £3610 not based on income and £2281 based on income
This needs to be repaid

I've been on the gov calculator and this amount is more than the calculator but the website says I should be eligible for a maintenance grant which doesn't need to be repaid -does this grant still exist and if so do I apply for it separately?

Have you already applied, if so, it'll be detailed in your award, when it arrives. If not, its all part of the same application form, online.

SFE Website seems to be down today though for maintenance.

Yes I've applied I've got the breakdown detailing tuition fees and maintenance but I've received an email asking for additional info regarding tax credits and childcare costs today

I get:
Full maintenance loan.
Tuition fee loan.
Special support grant (instead of maintenance grant as we are both students and get a bit if housing benefit).
Parents learning allowance.
Childcare grant.

It should apply for all of these automatically when you fill the form in I believe.

I get the same as Nightwish. Should also add that the special support grant isn't counted for benefits purposes in the way maintenance grant/ALG in Wales is, so you can claim housing benefit etc alongside it :)

I've got my info back and I've only been awarded £1500 on the special support grant

The online calculator said £3000 -does this sound right or is it worth appealing it?

They will have calculated it on your income, so if your income larger than mine (work one day a week, partner full-time education so not much) then that may be why you have been given less.
Can't hurt calling them and asking though!

My income is zero

I rang them and apparently it's because I previously started a degree

Never had a grant or loan before but I can't claim anything else until 2nd year

Groan

Nightwish how much do u get to live off?
So take tuition fees out etc.
I have applied for the exact same as you, am a lone parent and currently not working as DS only 9mo & planning to study rather than go bk to work so no income to calculate and just wondering how much DS & I should expect to live off.

This year Steelo I will have just over £8000 to live off.
That does not include childcare grant because although I get the money it obviously goes directly on childcare.
I should really be getting another £1600 loan because they have messed up my special support grant and have only given me the maintenance grant due to misplacing my evidence but when sorted I should get £9600 to live on roughly.

But don't forget you will still get child tax credits, council tax exemption, child benefit and it is highly likely you will get some housing benefit if you rent although not all.

Best of luck!