Childcare Fund
Means-tested Childcare funds are available for undergraduate students using registered childcare.
Provided by the Scottish Government, Childcare Fund awards are made at the discretion of the University on a case-by-case basis.
Eligibility
These awards are available to all eligible full-time undergraduate students, or those in receipt of either Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Community Education (PGDipCe).
Please note that Childcare Fund awards are not available to postgraduate students.
Undergraduate support packages help with the cost of formal registered childcare expenses for dependant children including:
- child-minders
- after school clubs
- day care
- sitter services
- providers of pre-school education
Applying
Before applying for assistance from the Childcare Fund, you are expected to have checked that you are receiving your full entitlement to state benefit payments including child benefit, tax credits, income support and housing benefit.
If you are from Scotland and are a lone parent, you must have applied for the Lone Parent Childcare Grant from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland.
If you would like to apply to the Childcare Fund for assistance, your first step is to visit one of the University’s Advice Places where you can pick up an application form and get advice on your eligibility and the application process from experienced and friendly staff.
The University’s Advice Places are located in Edinburgh at:
- Students' Association, Bristo Square
- KB House, Kings Buildings, West Mains Road
What the application process involves
You will be required to fill in an application form showing your income and expenditure accompanied by supporting documentary evidence.
A list of the documents we require is on the application form. Once you have completed your form, you can return it to the Advice Place where it will be checked to make sure you have completed it correctly.
Your documents will be photocopied at the same time.
Alternatively, you can download an application form here and submit it directly to the Scholarships and Student Funding Services office.
However you are advised that if you choose this route rather than taking your application to an Advice Place, you must make sure you have filled out the form properly and that you have supplied all the required documentation or this could delay your application being processed.
You must also make sure that the documents you supply with your application are photocopies as there is no procedure for original documents to be returned to you.
If you are posting your application rather than delivering it in person, please ensure that you stamp your envelope with exactly the right postage or it will be rejected by the Royal Mail and it simply will not be delivered to the University.
Assessment of application
Once your application is received, the fund administrators will consider your case by looking at your income and expenditure with any extenuating circumstances taken fully into account.
This assessment normally takes about 15 working days, after which the administrators will write to you to inform you of their decision.
If your application is successful, it can then be another 7-10 working days before you receive whatever award may have been granted to you.
Payment of award
Payment is normally made by cheque but, if you have provided us with your bank details, you can ask for the payment to be made direct into your account by BACS if this would suit you better.
This article was published on Aug 17, 2012