Childcare Support for Postgraduate Students

The average cost of part-time childcare for children under two in Great Britain is £157.68 per week. Even though postgraduate students are not eligible for the Childcare Grant, there is help available that parents on a Masters course can tap into. What’s on offer depends on the UK nation you’re in but you may be able to apply for free childcare to a certain amount, discretionary funds or loans.

Juggling study while figuring out childcare? Postgraduates are usually not eligible for the government childcare grant available to undergraduates and often don’t qualify for the same free childcare hours as workers. But, change could be on the horizon! We’ve talked about the call for increased childcare funding for postgraduates in our blog but until then it is important to know what your current options are.

In this guide, I'll tell you all about the financial support available for studying parents in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But first, I’ll take you through how much childcare costs in the UK to help you budget and plan.

How much can childcare cost in the UK?

Before you know how much funding you can get, it’s important to know how much childcare can cost where you are. Depending on your location, this is how much part-time childcare (25 hours a week) for children aged under five can set you back.

	Cost of part-time childcare for children under 2	Cost of part-time childcare for 2-year-olds+
England	£159.61	£153.69
Scotland	£125.42	£120.15
Wales	£139.94	£137.83

Source: Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2024

Full-time childcare (50 hours a week) for a child aged under two can cost up to £14,000 a year. In Northern Ireland, cost of a full-time place at a day nursery is £11,809 per year. With this in mind, it is important to know where you can find support to cover these additional costs.

For context, a Masters student on a classroom-based taught course is expected to have around 10 hours of contact time per week. This is just for lectures, seminars and workshops and you’re still expected to do plenty of reading and research outside of these hours. Lab-based Masters are likely to have more contact hours – around 20 hours a week. Depending on your subject, you could even be spending the equivalent of a full-time work week (around 30-40 hours) at the lab.

These are just estimates and hours will be different for everyone but hopefully this gives you an idea of the kind of time you’ll be paying for childcare as a Masters student.

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Childcare support for postgraduates in the UK

Depending on where you live, you may be able to apply for government-funded grants and subsidies to help cover childcare costs as a postgraduate student.

England

Postgraduate students in England are not eligible for the Childcare Grant but you’re not completely on your own. Some other options are:

Free childcare: You can get 570 free hours per year for all three and four-year-olds. This is usually 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year but you can spread this over more weeks if your childcare provider offers the option.
Loans: You can apply for interest-bearing loans from government or private bodies.
Allowance as part of the Social Work Bursary: If you’re a postgraduate student on a Social Work Bursary, you may be able to apply for extra childcare allowance.

Scotland

Scottish postgraduate students with children can apply for support through their university. Childcare funding in Scotland has two elements:

The Discretionary Childcare Funds which all eligible students can apply for. However, they are income tested and granted at the discretion of the university.
The Lone Parents Childcare Grant which is available to all single parents. Under this grant, you’ll be entitled to a payment of up to £1,215 per year. The amount you get depends on your income.

You must be resident in Scotland, enrolled onto an eligible course and be paying for registered childcare (like daycare, pre-school, after school club or registered childminders) to be eligible.

Wales

The Childcare Offer for Wales, which is available for all students, including postgraduates, provides 30 free hours of childcare and early education a week for three and four-year-olds, for up to 48 weeks a year.

You must be enrolled on a course that is at least 10 weeks in length and earn less that £100,000 a year to apply.

Northern Ireland

There’s no specific childcare funding for Northern Irish postgraduates, but like in England, you can apply for private or government loans to help with costs.

Tips from the author

Juggling being a parent and a student can be tough and having financial support can go a long way. You now know the support available from the government but don’t forget to tap into the support available at your university. They might have university-run nurseries, school holiday schemes and even their own funding.

I also recommend speaking with your university and coming up with a schedule that suits you. You might be able to arrange flexible hours for your teaching or remote learning (if you’re not required in the lab).

I’ve learnt that there is no shame in asking for help. Would your family be able to step in on some days to help bring the childcare costs down?

If you’re struggling to manage it all, I encourage you to talk about it at home and to your university. You don’t need to struggle alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often would I need childcare as a Masters student?

A taught Masters usually has mandatory classroom elements and you could be spending at least 10 hours a week in a classroom. Lab-based Masters may have even more number of contact hours — around 20 hours a week or more. You might also need childcare for the times you’re self studying or working on your Masters dissertation.

What kinds of childcare are eligible?

Usually only registered childcare like daycares, pre-school, after school clubs or registered childminders will be eligible for funding. Check with your funding provider to be sure.

Can I apply for student loans to cover childcare costs?

You won’t get extra childcare-specific loans. You can still apply for the Masters loans in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (if you’re eligible) to help cover costs.

Is childcare support means-tested?

It depends. Free childcare in England does not depend on your household income, however, if you’re in Wales, you need to be earning less that £100,000 a year to get any free childcare hours. The Lone Parents Childcare Grant in Scotland is means-tested and some loans (whether government provided or otherwise) might have a means-tested element too.

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Taru Medha

Taru joined FindAMasters as a Content Writer in 2022. She creates well-researched, thorough content for our guides and blogs, as well as short video content for our social profiles. She has a Bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Bennett University in India and completed a Masters degree in Global Journalism from the University of Sheffield in 2021, giving her personal experience with postgraduate study as an international student.

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