Parents' Learning Allowance
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1. Overview
You may be eligible for help with your learning costs if you鈥檙e a full-time student with children. This is called Parents鈥� Learning Allowance.
How much you get depends on your household income.
The allowance:
- does not have to be paid back
- is paid on top of your other student finance
- will not affect your benefits or tax credit
You may have to pay back any money you are overpaid because of a change in your circumstances or course.
2. What you'll get
Depending on your household income, in the 2025 to 2026 academic year you could get between 拢50 and 拢2,024 a year.
It鈥檚 usually paid in 3 instalments direct to your bank account, one at the start of each term.
Parents鈥� Learning Allowance is paid on top of your other student finance and does not have to be paid back.
2024 to 2025 academic year
Full-time students could get up to 拢1,963 a year.
3. Eligibility
You鈥檙e eligible for Parents鈥� Learning Allowance if all of the following apply:
- you鈥檙e a student in England
- you have dependent children
- you鈥檙e taking a full-time undergraduate course or an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) course
- your household income is less than 拢18,957.98 a year
You do not need to be paying for childcare to be eligible.
4. How to apply
You can apply for the Parents鈥� Learning Allowance when you apply for student finance.
After you apply
Your student finance account will be updated to show how much Parents鈥� Learning Allowance you鈥檒l get. You鈥檒l get an email when this is ready to view.