Website of the UK government

Financial help for young parents

Help with childcare costs: Care to Learn

If you are under 20, the Care to Learn scheme can pay up to £160 per child per week (£175 in London) for your childcare and associated travel costs while you're in education.

You can claim Care to Learn funding if you are under 20 and you: 

Follow the link below to find out more about Care to Learn.

• Care to learn: childcare while you learn (education and learning section)

EMA and other types of financial help for young people

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a weekly payment of £10, £20 or £30, depending on your household income. It's there to help with day-to-day costs when you stay in learning after 16, and it's paid into your bank account.

You may also be able to get help with the costs of transport to college or sixth form. There's extra support available if you're studying away from home or having trouble meeting the costs of your course.

Click on the 'Money to learn' link below for more details. You'll also find information on Dance and Drama Awards - national scholarships for the most talented dance and drama students.

For more information on your options and to discuss what's best for you, you can also chat to a Connexions Direct advisor:

• Connexions Direct: 080 800 13 2 19 (freephone)

• Money to learn (education and learning section)

Financial help for adult learners

Help with childcare costs

If you're aged 20 or over and doing a course at college or sixth form, you may be able to get help with childcare costs from one of several sources. Click on the link below to find out more.

• Help with childcare costs while you're learning (education and learning section)

Other help for adult learners

Other types of financial help open to learners over 18 include the Adult Learning Grant (ALG) and Career Development Loans. See 'Help with the costs of learning' for more details.

For advice on all your learning options and to find out more about financial help, you can also chat to an advisor from the Careers Advice Service:

Careers Advice: 0800 100 900 (freephone)

• Help with the costs of learning (education and learning section)

Help with university or higher education costs

Childcare Grant and Parents Learning Allowance

If you're a full-time student with children, you may be able to get extra help through the Childcare Grant, Parents' Learning Allowance or tax credits. Full-time students with adult dependants may be entitled to extra help from the Adult Dependants Grant.

For more information, click on the links below.

• Extra help for students with children (education and learning section)
• Adult Dependants' Grant (education and learning section)

Student loans, grants and other types of help

Extra help for students with children is paid on top of the Student loans, grants and bursaries potentially available to all full-time students. 

For an overview of financial support for students in higher education, follow the links below.

• Finance for full-time students - getting started (education and learning section)
• Finance after your first year (education and learning section)