Anyone know anything about student finances or LEAs?

There's a childcare grant. It's means tested though.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/education/student-finance

Thanks. I have been turned down for the childcare grant. You have to earn less than about 10k and whilst I earn nothing, my husband does work(and earn more than 10k). His salary can pay the mortgage and bills but nothing left over for £350 per week for childcare.

Basically, I am trying to find out if anyone has been successful in sending a sob story to their LEA and getting any financial help. food tech teachers are in really short supply so that is why I wondered if I wrote to them I might get them to reconsider.

I doubt very much that a sob story to your LEA will do any good, unfortunately. The conditions on what money is available (and to whom) is all set centrally by whatever the name of the current govt department is!

Your best bet would be to approach your university/college re: hardship funds (through their welfare/finance office). There are pots of money set aside to help people who are at risk of dropping out for financial reasons - they will do their best to help as no one wants students to start, but not complete, courses.

Good luck x

Thanks- I have also done that and been told that their hardship funds are not allowed to pay for childcare costs whilst students are on a placement. They can, however, be used to pay for childcare costs whilst students are not on a placement.

I feel like Im going round in circles. Why would I need childcare when Im not on placement?!!??? (i study from home). The only time I need childcare is when Im in school FFS!!

How frustrating for you - that is totally nonsensical.

Have you tried looking on/www.scholarship-search.org.uk/pls/mon/hc_edufin.page_pls_user_studmoney ? Or alternatively, been through a copy of the Educational Grants Directory with a fine toothed comb to see if anything there could help you? (should be available from your uni library/welfare office or a public library)

Are you getting your bursary?

I'm afraid the rules are pretty much set in stone and they are not interested in individual cases. Being a teacher and a parent and explaining your situation won't have any effect at all.

For example, I got only a few hundred pounds worth of student loan this year (the non means asessed part) as I received statutory maternity pay which is classed as a benefit. So, for every pound I received in maternity pay they took a pound off my student loan. Had this been wages from a part time job it wouldnt have counted and as the maternity pay was only the amount I used to make when I worked part time I am quite a few thousand pounds down this year.

Yes but I dont get half of it until I finish the course, which is not that useful as I need the money now to pay the childminder. It isnt enough to cover the cost of the childminder.

How frustrating!

What about the childcare element of WTC/CTC? Might be a worth a call to the tax credit helpline to see if you're entitled to anything?

Your husband may be able to apply for these: http://www.busybeesvouchers.com/

I know it's not what you're asking for, but it should save quite a bit each month.

Did you have a plan for how you were going to manage / finance your childcare whilst on placement before you started? I ask because I interview for one of the PGCE courses and once students have been accepted we make sure they get all the info they need about funding etc to help them forward plan how they are going to get through the course. Have you spoken to your uni mentor / course leader to let them know you have a problem with childcare- they may have information about local schemes you may be able to tap into. Also if this is going to prevent you finishing your placement better to tell them now.

I have PGCE students every year and have had several who have had small children, they've managed through a combination of family / using the subsidised nursery at the local college / doing the course part-time / taking out loans to cover the cost of childcare.

Ive called them. Because we are not both working more than 16 hours a week we are not entitled to anything.

His company dont do childcare vouchers unfortuantly.

Before I started I only had 1 child. Fell pregnant with my 2nd just after I had been accepted. Thought I would do the course anyway so I could try and have some sort of future, I hate being a SAHM.

I have spoken to my tutor who just directed me to the finance part of the uni- and thus I begin going round in circles.

I have used family and totally exhausted them now, its a big thing to take on 2 small children full time and my parents wont do it anymore. There is no subsidised nursery- problem also with nursery is that I have to pay for a whole term but Im not in school for a whole term. I am already doing the course part time but the placements in schools are full time. I may well have to take out a loan but that is an absolute last resort because I already have 4 student loans from my first degree.

So have you taken all the student loans you're entitled to in this course? AFAIK you aren't entitled to any form of hardship grants from uni or whoever unless you've taken your full student loan for the year. If you have, then I'd suggest that a career development loan might be your best course of action. Sadly, if you have a partner who earns anything like an average wage, you're highly unlikely to get anything to help

Ask if you can get an advance on your bursary due to your financial difficulties. We pay our bursaries monthly so I don't understand why yours is being withheld - you are supposed to be entitled to it pro-rata for any time you attend so monthly makes the most sense in terms of payments. They'll have the money already - TDA pay at the beginning of the year AFAIK.

Also, although your husband's company may not do the vouchers now is there a chance they might if he asked?

Even child tax credit? I didn't think working was a requirement for this?

I may ask if an advance is possible. The reason we dont get it monthly is because its a flexible course.. I started the course... did my first placement and then I had a year off to have my baby. So I guess it is easier for the univerisity to just pay it in 2 lumps rather than work out exactly when everybody is in school etc.

Husband has just said he will ask again about childcare vouchers so fingers crossed they might reconsider this time.

Sorry, we do already get child tax credit but Im not entitled to the childcare element of it.