What do I need to do?

• Apply for Childcare Grant (CCG) funding alongside your main student finance application. Provide information about your children on the form but do not provide information about the childcare provider.
• You no longer need to send in estimates of your childcare costs, but your household income will be used to work out how much CCG you can receive.
• SFE will assess your application for the grant. If successful you will be asked to register and create an account with the Childcare Grant Payment System (CCGPS) which will be used to pay funds direct to your childcare provider.
• CCGPS will display your Childcare Grant award for the relevant academic year.
• The childcare provider will request payment on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis for childcare costs already provided (actual amounts) via CCGPS.
• You will be contacted each time the provider sends a request for payment.You MUST review and approve the actual childcare costs before they are released.
• Payment is then made to the childcare provider and taken from your Childcare Grant balance.

How much is the Childcare Grant?

The grant is means tested on your household income and can be up to 85% or your actual childcare costs, with a cap of £199.62 per week for one child or £342.24 per week for two or more children in 2025/26

If you or your partner receive the childcare element of working tax credits/universal credit you will not be eligible for the Childcare Grant from SFE.

The Parents' Learning Allowance (PLA) is a means tested grant of up to £2,024 in 2025/26 if you have one or more dependent children, regardless of the age of the children. You do not have to receive the Childcare Grant to be eligible.

The PLA is to help cover some of the additional costs incurred by students with dependent children; eg higher travel costs, books and equipment, and is paid in three instalments alongside with other maintenance support.