Care to Learn
This is support for teenage parents living in England, aged under 20. It provides financial support for the costs of your childcare so that you can help continue your education or training. The training you do can be in a school or college, or with a work-based learning provider that receives some public funding, which and includes young parents continuing with compulsory education.
This funding can assist you in finding courses to suit you and can pay up to £160 per week per child per week (£175 in London) to cover registered childcare costs and associated travel costs.
Care to Learn is only available for use with registered childcare and costs are paid directly to the provider.
For further information about the support available call the Learner Support Service on 0845 600 2809 or visit www.direct.gov.uk.
Career Development Loans
Anyone aged 18 or over can apply for a Career Development Loan, subject to certain rules about where you live or intend to learn. Find out more about Career Development Loans.
Hardship fund/bursaries
Some colleges or educational institutions may offer hardship funds or bursaries to help you if you are facing extreme financial difficulties. These are usually one-off payments that you do not have to repay. Speak to the student services or welfare officer at your college for more information.
Elizabeth Nuffield Education Fund
This fund offers bursaries, grants and funds to student parents, particularly for childcare costs. Grants are given to help with the childcare costs of women studying to improve their employment prospects.
For further information contact them on 020 7631 0566 or visit www.nuffieldfoundation.org.
Other educational trusts/charities
Limited funding may be available from educational or charitable trusts for individual students.
Your local reference library or college library may be able to help you with details of organisations that offer funding.
Some useful publications that have information about educational and charitable trusts and funding available, which may be available at your local library, include:
- Educational Grants Directory (published by the Directory of Social Change).
- The Grants Register (published by Macmillan Reference Limited).
- Charities Digest (published by Waterlow Information Services).
The Educational Grants and Advisory Service (EGAS) offers advice and guidance on funding available if you are studying in post-16 education in the UK and can advise on possible sources of funding. You can contact them on 020 7524 6251 or visit their website www.egas-online.org.uk for further information.