Financial Support for Childcare

At The Sheffield College, we understand that being a parent and managing your studies can be a fine balancing act, so we aim to support our students with childcare needs as best we can.

Student Parents Aged 16-19

If you are a young parent studying on a publicly funded course, Care to Learn can help pay for your childcare and related travel costs while you’re learning.

Currently you may be eligible to receive up to £160 per child, per week to help with costs such as:

• childcare costs (including deposit and registration fees)
• keeping a childcare place over the summer holidays
• taking your child to their childcare provider

Please note that in order to receive financial support through Care to Learn you must:

• be under the age of 20 at the start of your course
• be studying on an eligible course (we can advise you on this)
• apply for funding either before you start your course or within 28 days of starting your course

You can find more information and apply to the Care to Learn fund here.

Student Parents Aged 20+

If you are a parent aged 20 or over you may be eligible to receive help with the cost of childcare while studying at college. 

Childcare costs will be supported for all timetabled classes required by the individual course, as well as any work placements that are essential to successful completion of the course. A maximum of one extra hour each day will be allowed for travel time (although discretion can be used to extend this to meet exceptional needs).

It is important to note that students will be expected (if necessary) to use any available Free Early Learning (FEL) funding towards meeting their childcare needs before further support is awarded. This includes all 2 year olds who are eligible for FEL funding based on their parent(s) income, as well as 3 and 4 year olds who automatically qualify.

Additionally, to ensure fair and responsible use of the Childcare Support Fund, payments will be limited as follows:

• full week - £160
• full day - £50 *

All childcare costs above these rates will have to be met by the student.

* When a class takes place across the middle of the day, and a full day's childcare is required, the cost of this will only be met by the College when there are at least 4 timetabled hours in the day.

Childcare funding is limited so students are advised to apply at the earliest available opportunity. Please download a form and return it to our Admissions and Student Funding Team, along with any supporting documentation/evidence: