Full-time undergraduate applications for 2024 to 2025 are now open!
Part-time undergraduate applications will be available by the end of May.
You must apply for any Dependants’ Grants within 9 months of the start of the academic year.
Applying for Childcare Grant
You can apply for Childcare Grant (CCG) online as part of your main student finance application.
If your application is approved, you’ll get a CCG entitlement letter from SFE and an email from the Childcare Grant Payment Service (CCGPS). CCGPS are a recognised government partner who pay the Childcare Grant. They’ll send you an invitation by email to set up an account with them, where your Childcare Grant will be shown as a balance. Here you can use your Childcare Grant balance to pay your childcare provider directly.
Applying for Parents’ Learning Allowance or Adult Dependants’ Grant
- On your main application for student finance, fill in the sections for applying for Parents’ Learning Allowance or Adult Dependants’ Grant. We’ll let you know if we need more evidence to support your application.
- We’ll send you a letter telling you how much student finance you’re able to get, including any Parents’ Learning Allowance or Adult Dependants’ Grant.
- We’ll pay any Parents’ Learning Allowance or Adult Dependants’ Grant you’re entitled to directly into your bank account in three instalments. This will usually be at the same time as any other student finance you get.
Evidence
When you’re applying for Dependants’ Grants, we’ll ask you to submit additional evidence so we can make sure you get all the student finance you’re entitled to. Examples of this are listed below for each grant.
Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance
Evidence of child’s identity
- A copy of each dependent child’s birth certificate, adoption certificate, passport or certificate of naturalisation.
Evidence that the child depends on you
- A copy of your most recent Tax Credit Award Notice, Universal Credit Award Notice or Child Benefit letter. This must be in your name and must list each of your dependent children. It should be dated no more than one year before the date of application or start of your course, whichever is earlier.
- If your child doesn’t live with you but is still financially dependent on you, you should submit copies of evidence to show this. For example, evidence of Child Support Agency payments, payments to an ex-partner, or a solicitor’s letter or legal papers confirming the shared custody agreement.
- For dependent children over the age of 20 who are still in full-time education, you should submit a letter, on headed paper, from the school, college or training organisation confirming the child’s attendance.
- If you have dependent children who are no longer in education, you should submit a letter explaining why your child is still dependent on you. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Adult Dependants’ Grant
If you’re applying for Adult Dependants’ Grant for your partner, you don’t need to submit any additional evidence when you complete your application. This is because your dependant will already be giving their financial details as part of the application process. We’ll check these details with HM Revenue & Customs, but we may contact them later and ask for copied evidence of the details we’ve been given.
If the adult dependant is not your partner, they’ll be asked to submit evidence of any taxable income they had in the last full tax year, for example for students studying on a course starting from August 2024, we'll ask for income from 2022-23. They should submit copies of documents, such as P60s, week 53 or month 12 payslips, or a letter from their employer. If the adult dependant’s income has dropped by 15% or more since the last full tax year, you should also submit a letter giving details of their expected income during the current tax year, and we’ll contact you to ask for evidence at the end of the year.
If you’re a continuing student
If you’re a continuing student applying for Dependants’ Grants that you’ve been assessed for in previous academic years, you won’t have to submit any additional evidence. However, if your circumstances have changed, or you’ve had another child, you’ll be asked to submit evidence to support this.
If any of your details change after you've applied for Dependants Grants, please contact us to let us know as soon as possible.
