1. Extra help for students with Dependants (With Notes)
This presentation will offer some guidance to the levels of financial support available to those students with Dependants.

2. What Help Is Available? For full-time students with dependants:
Parents’ Learning Allowance
Childcare Grant
Adults Dependants Grant
Supplementary Grants are for full-time students with dependants.
Supplementary Grants are available in the form of:
Parents’ Learning Allowance
Childcare Grant
Adult Dependants Grant
Students can indicate they wish to apply for these when they complete their application for student finance. The income assessment for supplementary grants is the same as the income assessment used to work out the student’s entitlement to Maintenance Grant and Maintenance Loan.
It is possible to receive more than one supplementary grant so long as students meet the criteria for each. All three grants are non-repayable.

3. Parents’ Learning Allowance
For full-time students with dependent children who are on a low income:
Depends on the household income
Up to £1,538 per year
Not taken into account when working out benefits entitlement.
The Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA) can help with course-related costs for full-time students who have a dependent child(ren).
The exact amount of PLA someone can get will depend on that of their household – partner, dependants etc.
Students may be eligible to this Allowance each year.
The Social Security Agency or Housing Executive should not take PLA into account when calculating benefit entitlements.

4. Childcare Grant
For full-time students with dependent children in registered or approved childcare:
Cannot be receiving childcare part of Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit
Not taken into account when calculating benefits.
One of the higher expenses for students with dependants is Childcare Costs. To qualify for the Childcare Grant applicants must be -
a full time student;
with a dependent child (or children) in registered or approved childcare. The childcare provider cannot be a family member. In Northern Ireland Childcare Providers are registered with their local Health and Social Services Trust.
Students cannot claim the Childcare Grant as well as the Childcare element of Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit
The Social Security Agency or Housing Executive should not take this Grant into account when calculating benefit entitlements.

5. Childcare Grant continued
Entitlement depends on household income and childcare costs
Up to 85% of actual childcare costs
Maximum £ per week for one child
Maximum £ per week for two or more children
Entitlement to the Childcare Grant depends on:-
Dependents income (combined earnings of the student, their spouse/partner and the child(ren)) during the prior tax year; and
the amount of childcare costs.
Students must:-
provide details of household income; and
declare if they or their partner receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit.
Eligible students receive 85% of the actual cost of registered childcare up to a maximum amount.
The maximum amounts are -
For one child -
Up to £ per week (85% of actual costs of up to £175 a week)
For two or more children –
Up to £ per week (85% of actual costs of up to £ a week)

6. Adult Dependants Grant
For full-time students with an adult who is financially dependent on them
Depends on household income
Up to £2,695 per year
Taken into account in benefits calculations
Let’s now look at Adult Dependants’ Grant (ADG).
This is for -
full time students with a spouse, partner or other adult family member who is financially dependent on them.
Entitlement to ADG depends on -
the student’s income;
the income of the adult dependant(s).
Students may be eligible for up to £2,695 per year from the Adult Dependants’ Grant.
ADG is taken into account by the Social Security Agency or Housing Executive when calculating benefit entitlements, and can affect, for example, Housing Benefit.

7. Special Support Grant Eligibility to the Special Support Grant (SSG):–
The student is a single parent
The student has a partner who is also a student
The student has certain disabilities
Depends on the household income
Up to £3,475 per year
Special Support Grant - SSG
There is additional help for students who may be eligible to receive means-tested benefits such as Income Support and Housing Benefit. This will generally be lone parents, other student parents if they have a partner who is a student, and students with disabilities.
How much a student receives will depend on a means test.
The maximum amount is £3,475 and it is usually paid in three instalments with the maintenance loan.
The amount is the same as the Maintenance Grant, but it will not be offset against the Maintenance Loan. Additionally, it does not count as income when working out income related benefits or tax credits

8. How and when to Apply
To apply for each of these grants you should fill in the relevant section of the paper student finance application form or online page
If you want to apply for the Childcare Grant, Student Finance NI will send a separate Childcare Grant application form to fill in
You and your Childcare Provider will have to provide details of the childcare costs 3 times during the year
You must also provide copies of your children’s long birth certificate
The process of applying for these grants is additional to the process of applying for the main financial support products – Maintenance Loan and Maintenance Grant. The student will have to provide additional information to support their application.
To apply for a Parents’ Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant or Adult Dependents Grant the student should fill in the relevant section of the paper application form for student finance. This can be completed online or on paper. If they want to apply for a Childcare Grant we will then send them a separate Childcare Grant Application Form (CCG1) in order to provide information about the child’s needs and details of the childcare provider. The form can be found and downloaded online at or students can contact their local Student Finance office. Students must also send in their children’s long birth certificates.
Three times during the childcare period we will send the student a Confirmation of Childcare Payments form (CCGS2) to fill in. This asks for details of weekly payments they have made to their childcare provider. The Childcare Provider will also be required to verify that childcare was provided on a separate form – CCG2P. If the actual amount is more or less than estimated in the original application, we will reduce or increase the next instalment of Childcare Grant.

9. Other Support Available
Help to cover 2 main expenses, ie tuition fees and day to day living costs
Help for students who have a disability
Assessed through Student Finance NI
Specific queries should be directed to the student’s local Student Finance Office
Financial support is also available for students to help meet their two main expenses of tuition fees and day to day living costs. There is additional financial support available for students who have a disability.
There is more information in our other presentations and on our website.
Use the Education Authority (EA) finder on our website to get the telephone number and address of the local student finance offices.