Pregnant whilst at university

[Lizzie334]

hello. i hope everybody had a nice Xmas :)

basically, i am 24 and in the middle of a 2-year fast track business degree.

this is not ideal obviously but I am happy! i would be due on 1st sept so i would be able to have a month (ish) off before I returned to study.

has anybody else had this happen to them and if so did you cope ok with a baby whilst in your third year?

does anybody know what help I would be entitled to? extra bursarys etc? due to studying me and my partner live with a high earning parent but I think once you have a child it goes off your own income which is very low as I am a student and work once a week and my partner earns around 20k a year.

i know google is full of web pages but there is almost too much info and it is confusing me.

thanks in advance xx

The independent element of student finance would be paid I believe. You get this if you've been living alone for a few years, if you're over 25 or I believe if you have children. There is a childcare element as well which you would be eligible for also. I believe all of this would be means tested against yours and your partner's earnings but it may be on household income so I'm not sure. I'd speak to the uni finance team when you go back in January they're usually quite helpful. The university itself may have some form of additional grant you may also be eligible for. I fell pregnant in my last semester, planned that way, but was surprised it happened so quickly. The university put things in place for exams etc and we're really helpful. I also had a friend who had her fourth baby in the September of her final year. She was determined to carry on her studies but did however end up sitting a few exams late and graduated in the winter not the summer. It is entirely doable. Congratulations xx

I fell pregnant in my first year of uni, completely unplanned! I continued at uni after I had my child as luckily although I was doing a full time course I only needed to be at uni 3 times a week and was living at home with the luxury of my mum babysitting so I could continue. It was obviously harder to juggle being a mum and doing a uni course but I don't regret it, I submitted a few assignments late and didn't graduate at the same time as everyone else but it didn't matter. I can't give any advice about money I'm afraid as I don't remember if I was entitled to anything more, it was a good few years ago :) good luck!