Help with paying for childcare

For funding purposes, childcare falls into 2 categories:

• Registered childcare is provided by people or organisations who are childcare providers registered with your local council. They may be childminders, nurseries, after school clubs or day-care centres.
• Unregistered childcare is provided by people who are not registered as childcare providers.

Some students may use both registered and unregistered childcare, in which case you may need to apply for financial help from more than one source, however, there is generally more financial help avaialble for registered childcare costs. This page gives you information on the different sources you may be able to apply to.

Lone Parents' Childcare Grant

You can apply to the university for this grant if you are a lone parent. The Lone Parents' Childcare Grant only covers registered childcare. Awards may be made up to a maximum of £1,215 ( 2011/2012) and will be paid in two installments during the academic year. This payment will be assessed taking into account any payments received for childcare costs from other sources. You must have applied to SAAS for the Lone Parents Grant before you can apply for this grant. If the Lone Parent Childcare Grant does not fully cover your childcare costs, you can apply, if eiligible, to the university for further help towards the remainder of your costs.

Nursing students should apply to SAAS for the Lone Parents Childcare Grant.

Applying to GCU for help with childcare costs

You can apply to the University for help with the costs of registered childcare during the academic year. These funds are available for childcare provision for children up to the age of 14. How much you are awarded towards childcare will take into account household income and any other sources of childcare funding you are already entitled to for example, Lone Parents Childcare Grant

Students using unregistered childcare cannot apply for help with these costs but can apply to the Discretionary Fund (if eligible) for help towards additional living costs.

Who can apply?

• Undergraduate, postgraduate, part-time, research and Health Department bursary students can all apply.
• How much you get depends on your total household income (this includes, for instance, child benefit, child tax credit, part-time work, your partner's income).
• If you are entitled to child tax credit and a SAAS Lone Parents' Grant, you must be in receipt of these before applying to the University for any further help towards remaining childcare costs.
• Payments will only be made towards childcare costs during term time.

How to apply

Collect a white financial assistance form and lilac carer form from The Base in the Saltire Centre or the Carnegie Suite, or you can download the financial assistance and carer forms during term times.

Remember to complete all pages of the forms. Your childcare provider must fill in the LILAC carer form and supply a copy of their registration certificate.  Once you have filled in the forms, take them (including all photocopied documents required) to the Post Box at The Base in the Saltire Centre or the Carnegie Suite during Drop -In times.

Updated: 21 July, 2011 | Student Funding Team | Legal