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Funding guidefor adult learnersSeptember 2012
Digital ISBN 978-0-7504-8119-9 / WG16707 / © Crown copyright 2012
Contents I WILL learn 1
What’s on offer? 2
Quick guide 3
Full-time study 4
Part-time study 5-6
Getting back to work 7
Learning at work 8
Learning in the community 9
Reading, writing and maths 9
Funding for learning 10
Funding support 11-14
Getting back to work 15
Getting into work 16
Learning at work 17
Grants and bursaries 18-20
Further benefits 21-22
Find out more 23-24
Page Page
I WILLlearn
Call the learning and careers advice line FREE on 0800 100 900 or visit www.yourfuturechoiceaction.org.
Learning is priceless. It opens doorsto opportunities and can make a realdifference to your life.
You can do it!
Embrace new skills and qualifications, meet
new friends and increase your confidence.
But what about the cost of learning?
Can you really afford it?
The good news is that there are many sources
available to help pay your financial needs.
One or more of them may well apply to you.
page 1
The financial support available will depend
on your situation, including personal
income and family circumstances, your
age, where you want to study and whether
you are learning full or part-time.
You can get funding in the form of a direct cash
grant, a loan, a free pass or reduced fees.
Support can come from the Welsh Government,
the local council or direct from the learning
provider where you plan to study.
Remember to ask if your course is backed
by European Funds as this might make it
cheaper for you or even free of charge.
You may be able to get support from an
employer, a trade union, a charitable foundation
or trust, a bank or even the European Union.
See the section on special grants and bursaries
on pages 18 to 20.
Sponsorship or a scholarship is a possibility if
you show real flair in the field you want to study.
This is to make sure that cash problems don’t
stand in the way of real talent.
If you or your family are on any kind of benefit,
make sure you check how any support you
receive for your learning might affect your
benefits before beginning your learning.
Check out the benefits section on pages 21 to
22 or call your local Jobcentre Plus office for
more details.
You may qualify for Housing Benefit on a
part-time course to help you with your rent or for
an exemption or reduction in your council tax.
Check the Housing Benefit and Council Tax
sections on page 22 and call your local council
for more details.
Here’s a breakdown of who might qualify for
funding and what’s available.
What’son offer?
page 2
Quickguide
Type of funding FE HE LW/GBW CL
Adults Dependants’ Grant •
Apprenticeship •
Assembly Learning Grant Further Education • •
Charitable Scholarship/Bursary • •
Child Benefit •
Childcare Support • • • •
Child Tax Credit • • • •
Council Tax Exemption/Reduction • • •
Disabled Student Allowances •
Employer Support •
Essential Skills in the Workplace (ESIW) •
Financial Contingency Fund • •
Flexible Learning Provision •
Foundation Apprenticeship •
Genesis Cymru Wales 2 •
GO Wales •
Help with Health Costs • • • •
Higher Apprenticeship •
Type of funding FE HE LW/GBW CL
Housing Benefit • • • •
Income Support • • • •
Jobs Growth Wales •
Jobseeker’s Allowance •
NHS Bursaries •
Parents’ Learning Allowance • •
Professional and Career Development Loan • • •
Redundancy Action (ReAct) •
Student Loans •
Teacher Training Support •
The Work Programme • •
Trade Union Support •
Traineeships/Steps to Employment •
Tuition Fee Support • • •
Working Tax Credit • • • •
FE Further EducationHE Higher EducationLW/GBW Learning at work/Getting back to workCL Community Learning
NB: This is a general guide and is by no means a definitive list of the sources of funding available. It is only accurate at the time of going to press. For further details please contact the relevant organisation mentioned in this publication.
page 3
Further educationIf you’re studying full-time, you may be charged tuition fees. Most further education colleges have policies that offer either free or discounted tuition to learners on means-tested benefits, on a low income or who are disabled. You may also qualify for the following:
• Assembly Learning Grant Further Education from Student Finance Wales.
• Financial Contingency Funds from your local further education college.
• A Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL) which can help with costs such as fees and materials if you don’t qualify for any other support, as long as the learning is vocational. (Vocational means it gives you the skills needed for an occupation, trade or profession.)
For more information on the support available for further education, contact the student welfare or awards officer at your local college or visit www.collegeswales.ac.uk.
Higher education
Going to university can be a happy yet expensive time. However, if you’re studying full-time, there is a range of support available to help you. You may apply for the following:
• Student Finance Wales services are available to you if you normally live in Wales. They could help you, depending on your circumstances, with your tuition fees as well as the cost of living through a Student Loan or Assembly Learning Grant.
Extra support• There is a range of extra support if you have
dependants including an Adult Dependants’ Grant, Parents’ Learning Allowance and a Childcare Grant if you expect to have childcare costs while you are learning.
• If you have a disability and you need extra support or equipment to be able to do your course, Disabled Student Allowances will help cover the costs.
For more information, contact your local authority or call 0845 602 8845 or visit www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.
Full-timestudy
page 4
Further education If you are in part-time education you may
be charged tuition fees. If you are receiving
benefits, on low income or are disabled,
you may be eligible for free or discounted
tuition. Contact your local college for more
information or visit
www.collegeswales.ac.uk.
Your college may also be able to help you
through the following support:
• The Financial Contingency Fund is
designed to cover the cost of learning
materials, travel, childcare and living costs
depending on your circumstances and the
level of your income.
• A Professional and Career Development
Loan may help you with costs such as fees
and materials if you don’t qualify for any other
support, as long as the learning is vocational.
• If you’re out of work and receiving
Jobseeker’s Allowance, you may be able
to study part-time as long as your course is
classed by the college as part-time and you
can show you’re still available for and looking
for work. Check this with your local Jobcentre
Plus office.
• You may be eligible for an Assembly
Learning Grant Further Education if you
are studying a course that involves at least
275 hours of study and leads to a nationally
recognised qualification.
Part-time study
page 5
Higher education
If you’re on a part-time course in Wales that is
50% or more of an equivalent full-time course
you can apply for the following from Student
Finance Wales:
• Fee grant to help with the cost of your fees
and a course grant to meet the cost of books,
travel and course costs. This will depend on
your household income.
If your course amounts to 30 credits each year,
you may also be eligible for the following:
• The Financial Contingency Fund if you are
studying in Wales.
• A Professional and Career Development
Loan if you can show your course will benefit
your job prospects.
If you have a disability, you can apply for a
Disabled Students’ Allowance designed to
pay for any equipment or staff support directly
related to your disability.
For more information, visit
www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.
page 6
Part-timestudy
If you’ve been out of work for a while,
you can take part in the following:
• ReAct – If you are currently under notice of
redundancy, or you have become
unemployed in the last six months as a
result of redundancy and have not been in
continuous employment for six weeks or
more since being made redundant, you
may be eligible for support under ReAct.
This is a package of support that will
help you to gain new skills to improve your
chances of returning to work in the
shortest time possible. Depending on your
circumstances, the support can include a
contribution towards the cost of training and,
in some cases, financial support for travel,
accommodation and childcare. If you have
special needs, you may be able to get help
with the equipment you need for training.
• Traineeships are for young people in Wales
aged 16 and 17 years old. However, people
who are 18 may be eligible if they have left
school or college. It is designed to give you
the skills you need to get a job or progress to
further learning at a higher level such as an
Apprenticeship or further education.
• Steps to Employment can help you if
you’re unemployed, aged 18 and over and
receive a Department for Work and Pensions
benefit. It will also help you to access
purposeful training and work experience
opportunities to prepare for employment or
further learning.
• Genesis Cymru Wales 2 offers help to
individuals who are either lone parents or who
have caring responsibilities to get back into
learning, training or work.
UK Programmes
• The Work Programme is a UK
Government initiative which provides you with
a single package of support. You may be
eligible if you have been unemployed for nine
months or more and receive Jobseeker’s
Allowance or Employment and Support
Allowance.
• Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit –
people on work-based learning programmes
can still get this. If you currently receive
Jobseeker’s Allowance you will continue to
receive this while you learn. Please note:
Council Tax Benefit is changing on 31 March
2013.
For more information, visit www.direct.gov.uk.
Getting back to work
page 7
Whether you’re starting your career or
have been working for a while but want to
move ahead, there are several ways to get
support to develop your skills.
• Foundation Apprenticeships,
Apprenticeships or Higher
Apprenticeships. You will be employed and
offered free training, though your employer
may be asked to make a contribution.
• Flexible Learning Provision gives
you the option of carrying out one or
more qualifications from a Foundation
Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship or Higher
Apprenticeship Framework that is relevant
and appropriate to your employer’s needs,
without having to complete the entire
Apprenticeship framework.
We will make a funding contribution of up to
50% of our normal funding rates, which are
current at the time.
• The Essential Skills in the Workplace
(ESIW) programme gives you the opportunity
to improve your reading, writing, maths and
Information and Communications Technology
skills while at work. You will work at your
own pace to gain qualifications that are
recognised by employers throughout the UK,
and you should become more productive
when carrying out your duties at work.
For more information on Essential Skills in the
Workplace, call 0800 100 900 or e-mail
If you’ve got a disability, you may still qualify for
certain benefits during your training. It’s best to
check with your local Jobcentre Plus. In certain
circumstances you might qualify for a council
tax exemption or reduced council tax during
your training. Check this with your local council.
page 8
Learningat work
There are hundreds of part-time adult education
courses available in community centres and
similar places close to where you live. You may
also be eligible for help with the following:
• A Professional and Career Development
Loan (PCDL) – if your course leads to a
work-related qualification.
• Genesis Cymru Wales 2 will help you
overcome barriers such as childcare, transport
and low confidence. You will receive advice on
how to access financial assistance, courses
and work opportunities to help you get back
into learning, training or work.
Reading, writingand mathsIf you’re tackling basic literacy skills and
number work, you may qualify for free
or discounted tuition fees. For details,
contact the learning and careers advice
line on 0800 100 900.
Learning in the community
page 9
Student Finance WalesIf you are a full-time student in higher education
you may have two main costs to pay:
• your living costs; and
• your contribution towards tuition fees. If you
normally live in Wales, Student Finance Wales
could help with both.
Student loans
Higher education
• Student loans are available to pay for living
(maintenance) expenses and the cost of
tuition fees.
• Student loans are not commercial loans. They
are provided by the Government, with the
interest rate linked to inflation – so that the
money you repay is the same, in real terms, as
the money you borrowed. If you are already a
student, you will start repaying the loans when
you are earning more than £15,000 a year.
If you are a new student in 2012, when you start
earning, you will repay 9% of any income you
receive above £21,000 a year.
Maintenance loans
Higher education
These are designed to help with your living costs
while you’re studying. If you start your studies in
2012, there are three yearly rates available
• Living at home - £3,673
• Living away from home - £4,745
• Living away from home and studying in
London - £6,648.
The maintenance loan comes from Student
Finance Wales and you’ll qualify if you are aged
under 60 and doing a full-time or sandwich
course in higher education, including initial
teacher training. For more information, contact
your local authority or call the Student Finance
Wales Contact Centre on 0845 602 8845 or visit
www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.
Fundingfor learning
page 10
Support and grant for tuition fees
In full-time higher education You do not have to pay tuition fees before you
start your course. No matter where you study
in the UK, you can apply for a tuition fee loan
of up to £3,465 to cover the initial cost of your
education. You will only start to pay this back
when you are earning over £21,000 a year.
You can also get a fee grant (up to £5,535),
which will pay the rest of the tuition fees (up to
£9,000) wherever you study in the UK, as long
as it is at a publicly-funded institution.
If you choose to study at a private institution,
you should check whether your course is
‘specifically designated’ and be aware that
funding is only available in the form of a fee
loan of up to £6,000.
Fundingsupport
Fee grant
Part-time only
If you are a part-time student in Wales and
start your course in 2012 which is 50% or
more of an equivalent full-time course, you
can apply for support. This includes a fee
grant of up to £1,025. You can also apply
for help with course-related costs worth up
to £1,155. If you already have a degree, you
cannot normally apply for this support.
Or, if you’re studying part-time at a
Welsh institution and you’re a mature
student or have dependants, you might
be eligible for support under the part-time
undergraduate fee waiver scheme. However,
if you receive support under this scheme,
you will not be able to receive the part-time
fee grant and course grant above. For more
details, contact the institution where you
plan to study.
Financial contingency fund
Sometimes known as Access or Hardship
Funds, these are funds designed to help
students facing financial hardship to meet
the cost of things like books, travel,
childcare, accommodation or
general living expenses.
If you have financial problems, you can
apply at the start of your course or during
your course. It is up to your university or
college to decide whether you should
receive an award from the financial
contingency fund.
Sometimes this money is given as a short-
term loan, or paid direct to a third party such
as a childcare provider, instead of a cash
grant. It’s up to the university or college to
decide. To qualify for support, you must
be studying at a publicly-funded further or
higher education institution in Wales. If you
are a part-time higher education student,
you must be studying at least half of an
equivalent full-time course.
Similar arrangements to the financial
contingency fund apply in England through
the Access to Learning Fund.
page 11
Assembly Learning Grant
Further education
Funded by the Welsh Government, this
grant provides support to help people from
low-income families to take part in further
education. It covers the cost of books,
equipment and travel. To qualify you must study
at least 275 hours a year on a course that leads
to a nationally recognised qualification.
• Your own or your family’s income must also
be less than £18,370 a year.
• The maximum grant is £1,500 for full-time
study and £750 for part-time study.
For more information, contact your local
college or visit
www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/ALG.
Assembly Learning Grant
Higher education
This is a grant available to full-time students
starting higher education courses. In 2012 it
is a grant of up to £5,000 a year. The help you
may receive depends on your own and your
family’s income.
• If this income is £18,370 or less, you will be
entitled to the full amount of grant.
• If the income is between £18,370 and
£50,020, you will receive part of the grant.
• If the income is over £50,020, you will not be
entitled to the grant.
The Assembly Learning Grant is usually paid
with your student loan. It does not have to be
repaid.
• For more information, contact your local
authority or call the Student Finance Wales
Contact Centre on 0845 602 8845 or visit
www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.page 12
Fundingsupport
Professional and CareerDevelopment Loans (PCDL)
These are loans of between £300 and £10,000
which you can borrow to support any course
of learning that will help you in your
career, particularly if you are not eligible
for other student finance support.
The Government pays the interest while you’re
learning and you don’t start repaying the loan
until you finish. It will cover up to 80% of your
course fees or 100% if you’ve been out of
work for three months or more, plus the cost
of books and other learning materials.
The loans come from three high-street banks
taking part in the scheme and anyone can
qualify, particularly if they don’t qualify for
funding through their local authority. For more
information, contact a Careers Wales Adviser
on 0800 100 900.
Childcare support
If you are in full-time or part-time higher
education and need help with childcare
costs, you can claim towards the costs of
registered or accredited childcare during
term time and short vacations.
• One child - up to £161.50 a week.
• Two or more children - up to £274.55
a week.
For more information, contact your local
authority, or call the Student Finance Wales
contact centre on 0845 602 8845.
If you are in further education or part-time
higher education and are studying at an
institution or college in Wales, you can apply
for help from:
• Financial Contingency Fund, Wales; or
• The Access to Learning Fund.
(For more information, contact your
university or college.)
If you are on a Traineeship or a Steps to
Employment learning programme, you can
apply for help from the learning provider
where you’re studying. If you are staying in
school or are learning in the community, you
should apply for help from the local council
where you’re studying.
• For information about childcare that is
available in your area call 0800 096 0296
or visit www.education.gov.uk.
page 13
Fundingsupport
Parents’ Learning Allowance
The Parents’ Learning Allowance, worth up
to £1,508 a year, will help with course-related
costs if you have dependent children. This
grant is available to full-time and part-time
higher education students. How much you
get depends on your income and that of your
dependants (including your husband, wife or
partner).
Your local education authority will be able to
advise you on how much help you might get.
Jobcentre Plus will not count this grant when
they work out your benefit entitlement.
Adult Dependants Grant
This is designed to help you support adult
dependants in your household while you’re
studying full-time in higher education. You
can claim up to £2,647 a year if you have
a husband, wife or partner or another adult
member of your family who depends on you
financially. The grant available will depend on
your own and your dependants’ income.
For more information, contact your local
authority or call the Student Finance Wales
Contact Centre on 0845 602 8845 or visit
www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.
Disabled Student Allowances
If you’re disabled and you need extra
equipment or support to carry out a course
or training programme, a Disabled Student
Allowance (DSA) will help cover the cost.
Extra support from the DSA could include:
• specialist equipment;
• a non-medical helper’s allowance; and
• help towards the extra costs of travelling to
your institution.
page 14
The Work Programme
This is the new UK Government initiative to
provide a single package of support for the
following people:
• People claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance
who are aged 18 and over.
• People claiming Employment and Support
Allowance.
For more information, visit www.dwp.gov.uk.
Redundancy Action (ReAct)
If you have become unemployed in the last
six months as a result of redundancy, are
currently unemployed and have not been
in continuous employment for six weeks or
more since being made redundant or you
are under notice of redundancy, you may be
eligible for support from our Redundancy
Action Programme.
The programme provides a well-proven
package of support to help you gain new
skills, overcome obstacles and improve your
chances of returning to work in the shortest
time possible.
The support includes a contribution
towards the cost of vocational training and,
depending on your circumstances, support
for travel, accommodation and childcare
costs. If you have special needs, you may be
able to get help with the equipment you need
for training.
The programme also offers a wage subsidy
and job-related training grant to employers
in the private and voluntary sectors which
employ people who have been made
redundant.
The support applies as well as, and is offered
alongside, a wide range of support from the
Welsh Government and our partner
organisations such as Careers Wales and
Jobcentre Plus.
For more details, including how to apply,
please contact Careers Wales on
0800 100 900 or 029 2090 6801.
Steps to Employment
Steps to Employment aims to help
unemployed adults aged 18 and over, who
receive a Department for Work and Pensions
benefit, to find purposeful training and
work-experience opportunities to help them
prepare for employment or further learning.
Those on the programme will continue to
receive an amount equivalent to their benefit,
and may also be entitled to receive a training
premium.
For more information, visit your local
Jobcentre Plus office.
Getting backto work
page 15
Traineeships
A traineeship is for young people in Wales
aged 16 and 17. However, some people aged
18 may be eligible if they have left school or
college. It is designed to give you the skills you
need to progress into a job or further learning
at a higher level such as an Apprenticeship or
further education.
We will pay an allowance once you begin a full-
time or part-time course. If you are eligible, you
could also get support with travel expenses,
childcare costs and other support.
For more information, call Careers
Wales on 0800 100 900 or visit
www.careerswales.com.
Jobs Growth Wales
Jobs Growth Wales is a six-month job
opportunity with the possibility of continued
employment at the end of the experience.
If you’re aged 16 to 24 and currently not in
education or employment, you could be eligible
for the Jobs Growth Wales programme and we
will pay your wages at the rate of the national
minimum wage. To find out more, visit
www.careerswales.com.
Flexible learning
Flexible learning gives you the option of
carrying out one or more qualifications from
a Foundation Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship
or Higher Apprenticeship Framework that is
relevant and appropriate to your employer’s
needs. You do not have to complete the entire
Apprenticeship Framework.
For more information, call 0845 60 661 60.
Genesis Cymru Wales 2
Genesis Cymru Wales 2 offers help to
individuals who are either lone parents or who
have caring responsibilities. If you haven’t
worked for some time, this could be for you.
You will receive help to overcome barriers such
as childcare, transport and low confidence,
as well as advice on how to acess financial
assistance, courses and work opportunities.
It will help you get back into learning, training
or work.
For more information, call Careers Wales on
0800 100 900.
page 16
Gettinginto work
As an apprentice you will be employed and
receiving a wage!
Foundation Apprenticeships
These are for people of any age who want
to learn while in a job and complete an
Apprenticeship Framework with qualifications
at QCF level 2.
• You’ll be paid the wage for the job by your
employer.
• This training is designed to pave the way if
you want to pursue an Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships
These are for people of any age who want
to learn while in a job and complete an
Apprenticeship Framework with qualifications
at QCF level 3.
• It combines practical job training with off-
the-job learning and you’ll get paid a wage.
• You won’t be asked to pay, but your
employer may be asked to contribute
towards the cost of the training.
Higher Apprenticeship
These are for people of any age who want
to learn while in a job and complete an
Apprenticeship Framework with qualifications
at QCF levels 4 to 6.
Essential Skills in the Workplace (ESIW)
The ESIW programme works with an
employer to support their employees who
need help with reading, writing, maths and
ICT. Funding is available for employees to
carry out nationally recognised qualifications
up to and including Level 2.
This training is completely free and can
be arranged at a time to suit you and your
employer.
Learningat work
page 17
As well as local councils, colleges,
universities and government agencies,
there are many other organisations that
provide support for learners. These are
often charities and foundations that have
set up funds to encourage talented people
to pursue specific careers.
Teacher training support
There may be extra help available if you are
already a graduate and planning to start teacher
training. Each year we announce the availability
of bursaries for postgraduate initial teacher
training for the following academic year.
Information on the incentives that may be
available to students beginning initial teacher
training in academic year 2013/14 will be
published on our website when it is available.
If you are following a secondary postgraduate
course training in Welsh, you may be eligible
for the £1,500 Welsh-medium improvement
supplement (£1,800 for trainees taking physics,
chemistry and mathematics courses). When you
qualify, you will be expected to look for a post in
a Welsh-language school.
You can get more information on teacher
training support on the Teacher Training and
Education Recruitment Forum Wales website at
www.educationcymru.org.
Grantsand bursaries
page 18
NHS bursaries
NHS bursaries are available for full-time or
part-time pre-registration courses in a wide
variety of subject areas. To be eligible, you
must be accepted for an NHS-funded place.
If you are an NHS-funded student you will
have to meet certain conditions for where
you live.
From September 2012 new NHS students
are eligible for:
• loans and grants from Student Finance
Wales and NHS support.
For more information, contact the NHS Wales
Students Awards Unit on 029 2019 6167 or,
if you are planning to study in England, visit
the NHS Pensions Agency Student Grants
website at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students.
Charities
There are a large number of charitable
foundations across the UK that provide
scholarships and bursaries to fund the
education of mature students interested
in studying something related to the field
covered by the charity concerned. Usually
only a handful of grants are made by any
one organisation each year. If you do get
funding, you might be asked to do a report
or make a presentation on your studies.
To find out more, visit your local library and
look at the Charities Digest 2012. It will provide
up-to-date information on over 2,000 regional
and national charities, as well as nearly 2,000
voluntary and independent organisations.
Family Action’s online Educational Grants
Search may also be able to help you identify
appropriate charitable funding for education
or training based on your circumstances and
needs.
To carry out a search, visit
www.family-action.org.uk/
educationalgrantssearch.
Employer support
If you’ve already carried out training with an
employer, they may be willing to sponsor you
to further your degree or diploma at university
or further education college. This can take
the form of paying for your fees and books.
• If you are studying part-time, you may get
paid for the time you’re away from the
workplace at classes or lectures.
• If you are studying full-time, you may
not get a wage while you’re away, but
you’re usually guaranteed work with your
sponsoring employer when you are on
holidays.
Grantsand bursaries
page 19
Employer support (continued)
There is usually an understanding that you
will continue to work with that employer for a
period after you complete your studies, so they
can get the benefit of your new knowledge
and skills. Many companies have employee
development schemes to help their staff to
pay for other kinds of learning, so it’s worth
consulting the personnel department or other
relevant person to see what’s on offer. It’s up to
your employer how much support they give, so
you’ll need to discuss it with them and agree a
package.
Trade union support
Trade unions have developed union learning
representatives (ULRs) whose role is to provide
support and signposting to members who want
to take part in all kinds of learning. There are
currently more than 1,300 ULRs in workplaces
throughout Wales providing advice on learning
programmes and funding.
Many Trade Unions in Wales also provide
Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) projects
which support individuals to learn in their
workplace, both in the public and private
sectors. Employees who are eligible can
access a wide range of learning opportunities
including numeracy, literacy, Welsh, foreign
languages, and some vocational and leisure-
based learning programmes.
Wales TUC Learning Services works with trade
unions to provide support for ULRs, WULF
projects and Essential Skills Wales in the
Workplace (funding for numeracy, literacy and
ICT to level 2).
For more information about support for learning
from trade unions, contact Wales TUC Learning
Services [email protected] or phone
029 2034 7010.
Grantsand bursaries
page 20
Although most full-time students are not
entitled to social-security benefits, certain
students, including single parents and
disabled students, may be eligible for
social-security benefits.
If you want to take a course of full-time
education, you should always ask at your
local Jobcentre Plus office how this will affect
your benefits.
Child Tax Credit
Students with children will be entitled to
claim Child Tax Credit from HM Revenue and
Customs, which is paid to parents whether or
not they are working or studying. To qualify
for Child Tax Credit, you must be responsible
for a child under 16. You can claim if the
child or young person is:
• aged 16 and under, up to 1 September
after their 16th birthday; or
• aged under 19 (20 in certain
circumstances) if they’re still in full-time
education up to and including ‘A’ levels,
NVQ level 3 or approved training such as
Foundation Apprenticeships.
If the young person is aged between 16 and
17 and they’re not in full-time education,
you can claim Child Tax Credit if they don’t
have a job or training place (unless on an
approved training course) and they have
signed up with Careers Wales.
You will qualify for Child Tax Credit at a higher
rate if your child or one of your children is
under one year old or is disabled. Students
receiving the maximum amount of Child Tax
Credit are also entitled to free school meals
for their children. How much you get will
depend on your circumstances.
To find out if you are eligible, call the Tax
Credit Information Line on 0845 300 3900
(option 4) or visit
www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk.
Income Support
Income Support is available if you are on
a low income and not working. If you are
working an average of less than 16 hours
a week, you may also qualify for Income
Support. If you’re studying full or part-time,
you may be able to claim Income Support
if you’re a lone parent, sick, disabled or
registered blind.
The amount of Income Support you get
depends also on your partner’s income if you
live with a partner.
Contact your local Jobcentre Plus office for
more details.
For questions about, or to make a claim for,
Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance,
Employment and Support Allowance, call
0800 055 66 88, text phone
0800 023 48 88.
Furtherbenefits
page 21
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Jobseeker’s Allowance is for people who are
actively looking for employment. In certain
circumstances you can still receive this
allowance if you’re studying part-time, as long
as you continue to be available for work and
to look for work. This rule also applies to Open
University courses as these are all classed as
part-time.
Full-time students may also qualify for
Jobseeker’s Allowance during the summer
holidays if they are responsible for a child.
The level of support depends either on your
previous National Insurance payments or on
your current income.
Contact your local Jobcentre Plus office for
more details.
Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit helps you with the cost of your
rent if you’re on a low income. You wouldn’t
normally qualify if you’re a full-time student, but
you may be able to get this support if you’re
disabled, have children, or have to live away
from your parents and receive Income Support.
Your local council will advise you and provide
you with an application form.
Council tax exemption
You don’t normally have to pay council tax if
you’re in full-time further or higher education.
This could save you several hundred pounds a
year or even more, depending on which council
area you’re based in. You may also be able
to get a reduction in your council tax if your
partner is a full-time student.
For more information, ask your local council.
Furtherbenefits
page 22
These are just some of the ways you can get financial and practical support for your learning.
A larger text format of this brochure is available on request.
You can also get Braille and audio-tape
versions of this guide by calling the
Communications and Marketing Team
on 01443 663813.
Find outmore
page 23
For more information• Visit www.yourfuturechoiceaction.org.uk• Visit www.careerswales.com• Visit www.wales.gov.uk• Contact your local Careers Wales centre• Call the learning and careers advice line FREE on 0800 100 900• Contact your local Jobcentre Plus office
• Vi
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