Dependants' grants for full-time students

You may be eligible for a Childcare Grant (CCG), Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA) or Adult Dependants’ Grant (ADG). These grants are paid in addition to your main student finance, and don’t usually have to be paid back.

Parents' Learning Allowance (PLA)

This helps with course-related costs if you have dependent children. How much you can get depends on your household income, which is your income and the income of your partner and any dependants.

The maximum you could get for 2025/26 or 2026/27 academic years is £2,024. 

Eligibility

You can apply for a Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA) if you have children who depend on you financially and you’re a:

• full-time undergraduate student
• full-time postgraduate ITT student

You don’t need to be paying for childcare to be eligible.

Tuition fee only funding students are not eligible for Parents’ Learning Allowance.

Childcare Grant (CCG)

You can apply for help to pay your childcare costs. 

For the 2025/26 or 2026/27 academic years you could get:

• up to £199.62 a week for one child, or up to 85% of your weekly costs (whichever is less)
• up to £342.24 a week for two or more children, or up to 85% of your weekly costs (whichever is less)

Eligibility

You can apply for CCG if you’re a full-time undergraduate student, or a full-time postgraduate ITT student, and at the beginning of the academic year, you:

• have at least one dependent child under 15 and in registered or approved childcare
• have at least one dependent child under 17, who has special educational needs and is in registered or approved childcare

You may also be able to get CCG if you:

• ordinarily live in England and study abroad as part of your UK course
• can use childcare provided under a Ministry of Defence accreditation scheme while you’re abroad

If you or your partner gets the childcare element of Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit, or Tax-Free Childcare from HM Revenue & Customs, you won't be able to get a Childcare Grant at the same time.

Adult Dependants' Grant (ADG)

You can apply for an Adult Dependants' Grant if you have a partner or another adult who depends on you financially.

Depending on your household income, the maximum you could get for the 2025/26 or 2026/27 academic years is £3,545. 

Eligibility

You can apply for an Adult Dependants’ Grant if you have an adult who depends on you financially and you’re a: 

• full-time undergraduate student
• full-time postgraduate ITT student

The adult can be a partner or another adult who depends on you financially but can’t:

• be a relative whose income is more than £3,796 a year
• be a student in receipt of statutory award

You can’t get an Adult Dependants’ Grant for your child, or if the dependent adult is a student getting student finance.