Financial Advice for Mum wanting to go to uni ***please help if you can!! ****

[kat80]

I'm hoping someone might be able to help,. I am really hoping to go to Uni in Sept to study law with the ambition of eventually qualifying as a solicitor. I am 29 and a sigle parent to 3 kids aged 8,6 and 5, they are all in full time school. I currently work full time, but the course i'd like to do is full time so would have to stop work. does anyone know of any type of help I may get financially that would allow me to go to uni????? please help if you can!!!

thanks x

didn't want to leave you unanswered.

I should think you would get a student loan (check on your county council's website, mine is www.oxfordshire.gov.uk).

I've got an NHS bursary because my course is a clinical one, so can't help you with that bit. The Law Society do bursaries for the professional end of the training here.

Some universities seem to do bursaries for their law courses to cover tuition fees (I saw one on the Liverpool uni website). There are usually more general access funds etc at universities which you can apply for after you get there.

Hope somebody else who knows more specifics will turn up soon. Best of luck!

hey, thanks so much for helping! i will have a look at the link and try and do a bit more investigating!!!! xx

Ring the university you're thinking of going to and ask them to put you through to student support. They will be able to talk you through any help you are entitled to, and are also a good source of info for local and university specific grants and bursaries that you might be able to access.

Good luck.

Agnes

You would get student loan (means and not means tested)which can work out to be quite a lot (well, not as much as a wage obviously!).

Parent learning allowance (not repaid) of £1435 (MAX) and child care grants if you need it - that pays up to 85% of your childcare for you to a registered person (nursery/childminder).

You will have tuition fee contribution too.

You won't pay any council tax for the time you are at uni - students are exempt. The uni will draft a letter to send to your council saying you are a student and exempt.

You can also claim Income Support and Housing Benefit (if you qualify) although the IS will be minimal, but every penny helps!

Most universities have "Access to Learning funds" too which are not repayable - apply for this the MINUTE you get on campus. It is means tested and they give you extra (if they deem you need it - you fill in a form for all your income/outgoings and take it from there). The worst they can say is you get none, but most people get something.

It will be hard - very hard, but it is do-able.

Student Loans Co: all of the above is on here (figures etc) but the other stuff is just info I picked up/fought for being at uni myself.

What about if you're not a single parent but are currently claiming tax credits??

Does anyone know if it affects the tax credits and if you're still eligible for chidlcare costs?

You can't get working tax credit if you are a student because they do not consider a student loan or bursary as income. I set up a company from home doing ironing and could claim working tax credit for this. Student loan or bursary are not classed as income. Childcare element is only payable if you are working more than 16 hours, the lea offers child care allowance to cover this. I think that your partner can claim working tax credit but not the childcare element as one parent is availiable to care for the child as study is not classed as employment therefore they are not busy! You can keep getting child tax credit regardless.