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You may be eligible for help with your childcare costs if you:

• are a full-time higher education student
• have children under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs

The grant:

• does not have to be paid back
• is paid on top of your other student finance

You must be eligible for student finance to apply for a Childcare Grant.

The amount you鈥檒l get depends on:

• your household income
• the number of children who are dependent on you

2025 to 2026 academic year

You can get 85% of your childcare costs or a fixed maximum amount, whichever is less.

The maximum you can get is:

• up to 拢199.62 a week for 1 child
• up to 拢342.24 a week for 2 or more children

Example

You have to pay any remaining costs.

2024 to 2025 academic year

You can get 85% of your childcare costs or a fixed maximum amount, whichever is less.

The maximum you can get is:

• up to 拢193.62 a week for 1 child
• up to 拢331.95 a week for 2 or more children

How you鈥檙e paid

Your grant will be paid into a Childcare Grant Payment Service (CCGPS) account. You鈥檒l get an email telling you how to set one up.

Your childcare provider will send requests for payment to the CCGPS, which you can approve through your account. You鈥檒l usually need to do this every week. Your provider will be paid directly from the money in your account.

You can only approve payments to your childcare provider once your course has started. You cannot use the Childcare Grant to pay for upfront costs such as deposits.

Any money that鈥檚 left over at the end of the academic year will be returned to Student Finance England.

To qualify for a Childcare Grant all the following must apply:

• you鈥檙e a full-time student
• your child must be under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs
• you get undergraduate student finance based on your household income (or are eligible for this)
• you鈥檙e not getting a Postgraduate Loan
• you鈥檙e a permanent resident in England
• your household income is less than 拢20,107.23 - if you鈥檙e applying for 1 child
• your household income is less than 拢28,914.47 - if you鈥檙e applying for 2 or more children
• neither you or your partner are claiming Tax-Free Childcare, the childcare element of working Tax Credit or Universal Credit
• neither you or your partner receive help with childcare costs from the NHS
• the children in your grant application are financially dependent on you
• your childcare provider is on the Ofsted Early Years Register or General Childcare Register - check with your provider

If your child is cared for at home, the carer cannot be a relative and must be registered with an appropriate body. Check with Student Finance England.

To apply for a Childcare Grant follow these steps:

1. Apply online as part of your main student finance application.

2. Send in evidence. You鈥檒l be told what evidence you need to provide when you apply.

3. You鈥檒l be sent a letter telling you how much Childcare Grant you鈥檒l get.

4. Create an online account with the Childcare Grant Payment Service (CCGPS). You鈥檒l get an email telling you how to set one up. Your grant will be paid into this account.

Use the paper form instead if you:

• have already applied for student finance but didn鈥檛 apply for a childcare grant at the same time
• want to apply for another child

You can download the form from the student finance form finder.

Use your student finance account to send the form to Student Finance England, or send it by post.