Child Care Grant payments 2024/25
The Child Care Grant (CCG) forms part of the student finance package of Dependants Grants together with Adult Dependant Grant and Parent Learning Allowance.
Your application for CCG will need to detail your predicted child care requirements for the academic year including all vacations and your entitlement to CCG will then be assessed.
Once SFE has established that you are eligible for CCG, all payments to the childcare provider will be operated through a third-party website - Childcare Grant Payment Service (CCGPS).
The childcare provider will need to submit an invoice on line in respect of child care services provided. You will be required to sign in, check and authorise that the amount is correct. SFE will then pay the amount directly to the childcare provider.
It will no longer be necessary for a child care provider to confirm child care costs using the CCG2 form as was previously the case.
As CCG only covers 85% of the child care costs, you will need to make separate arrangements with the child care provider in respect of the remaining 15% of the costs.
More information can be found here
What's available
The maximum CCG for 24/25 is:
- up to £192.62 a week for one child, or up to 85% of their costs (whichever is lower)
- up to £331.95 a week for two or more children, or up to 85% of their costs (whichever is lower)
Any remaining childcare costs will have to be paid by the student.
All Dependants Grants are means tested, taking into account:
- your household income
- how many children you have
Students getting benefits
Childcare Grant won’t affect any income-related benefits. You must not be in receipt of the Childcare Element of the Working Tax Credit, the Childcare Element Universal Credit, the HMRC tax free childcare or the NHS funded childcare grants at the same time as the Childcare Grant.
Eligibility
To qualify for CCG the following must apply:
- studying a full-time undergraduate, Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course
- your child is under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs
- you are eligible for undergraduate student finance based on their household income
- a permanent resident in England
- the children are financially dependent on you
- the childcare provider is on the Ofsted Early Years Register or General Childcare Register - you should confirm this with your provider
- if your child is cared for at home, the carer can’t be a relative and must be registered with an appropriate body - check with Student Finance England
- you or your partner are not claiming the childcare element of Working Tax Credits or the childcare element of Universal Credit
- you or your partner are not claiming the HMRC tax free childcare or NHS funded childcare grants
Page last updated: February 2024