Are there grants for mature students in the UK (parents and dependants)?

Yes. Mature students in the UK may be able to receive several non-repayable grants, including Childcare Grant, Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA), Adult Dependants’ Grant (ADG), Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), NHS grants and bursaries, Social Work bursaries, teacher-training bursaries and university hardship funds.

Do I need to repay grants for mature students?

No. You do not repay grants, bursaries or scholarships. You only repay your Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan, and only once your income is above the repayment threshold.

Mature student grants (UK) 2025/26

Mihai Flueraru

December 8, 2025

This guide to mature student grants in the UK explains the main grants, bursaries and scholarships available, who’s eligible and how to apply — and is part of our student finance for mature students hub so you don’t miss out on support you don’t have to repay.

Want a quick estimate of your overall support? Try the Student Finance Calculator.

What are grants, bursaries and scholarships?

Before we start, let’s make one thing clear:

Grants = Free money (you DO NOT repay it)

Bursaries = Free money from the university (you DO NOT repay it)

Scholarships = Free money for good results or special criteria (you DO NOT repay it)

Grants are different from:

Tuition Fee Loan → covers your course; you repay later
Maintenance Loan for mature students → helps with living costs; you repay only after you earn over the threshold

Types of grants & bursaries in the UK

Below is every major grant available for mature students in the UK.

Parents & dependants (non-repayable)

These are the most important grants for mature students with families — and you never repay them.

Childcare Grant

For: parents who use registered childcare
Repay? NO
Paid to? Your childcare provider (not you)

How much can you get? (2025/26)

You can receive up to 85% of your childcare costs, or up to the weekly maximum:

1 child: up to around £193.62 per week
2+ children: up to around £331.95 per week

(These numbers update each year – 2024/25 amounts shown above; 2025/26 will increase.)

Who qualifies?

Full-time students
Using registered childcare
Income assessed if you have pre-settled status or a partner
Cannot receive:
- Universal Credit childcare element
- Tax-Free Childcare
- NHS childcare support

How does the Childcare Grant Payment Service (CCGPS) work? (IMPORTANT)

This part confuses many parents. Here is the simple version:

You do not receive the money directly.
Instead, Student Finance pays through a system called CCGPS.

How to use CCGPS (step by step):

Student Finance approves your Childcare Grant
You receive an email to create a CCGPS account
Your childcare provider also creates an account
Each week/month, your provider sends an invoice through the CCGPS system
You log in → approve the invoice
Student Finance pays the provider directly

If you don’t approve invoices, payments stop.
It is extremely important to log in every week or two.

Parents’ Learning Allowance (PLA)

For: students with children
Repay? NO

This grant is for general study costs (books, travel, internet, uniforms, equipment, etc.).

How much can you get?

According to gov.uk:
➡️ Up to around £2,026 per year (2025/26 amount)
Each year the maximum amount you could get will increase slightly.

This is extra money on top of the Maintenance Loan.

Who qualifies?

Full-time students
At least 1 dependent child
Income assessed

Money is paid in your bank account with your maintenance payments.

Adult Dependants’ Grant (ADG)

For: students who financially support another adult
Repay? NO

This is for people who support:

A partner
A spouse
An adult family member who depends on you

How much can you get?

➡️ Up to around £3,545 per year (2025/26)
(Will increase for 2026/27.)

The amount you get depends on:

your income (if you have pre-settled status)
the adult dependant’s income
your personal circumstances, for example if you’re married or have children

Adult Dependants’ Grant will affect any benefits you might get, such as Universal Credit.

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

These grant help if you have:

A disability
A long-term health condition
A mental health condition
A learning difficulty (dyslexia, ADHD, etc.)

Repay? NO
Amount: Can be thousands of pounds per year depending on needs. You can get up to £27,783 a year for support.

Covers:

Software (readers, writing tools)
Equipment (laptops, specialist tools)
1-to-1 support
Study coaching
Travel

This is a MAJOR source of support and is not income-based.

Payments will be sent directly to your suppliers, and not to you.

NHS / course-specific support

These grants apply to specific degrees like Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work, or Medicine.

NHS Learning Support Fund (nursing, midwifery, allied health)

For:

Nursing
Midwifery
Paramedicine
Allied Health

Includes:

£5,000 per year Training Grant
£1,000 for specialist shortage roles
£2,000 for childcare support (if eligible)

Repay? NO

NHS Bursary (medicine/dentistry in later eligible years)

Available only in certain years:

Undergraduate year 5
Graduate entry years 2–4

Covers fees + a bursary for living costs.

Social Work Bursary

Helps Social Work students with living costs + placements.

Limited number of places per university.

Teacher training bursaries/scholarships (subject-dependent, via DfE/partner bodies)

Amounts depend on the subject.
High-demand subjects can receive up to £30,000 in bursaries.

Examples:

Maths
Physics
Chemistry
Computing

These are non-repayable.

University bursaries & hardship funds

Universities also offer:

Bursaries for low-income students
Hardship funds
Support for parents
Care leaver support
Estranged student support
Commuter student funds
Emergency payments

These are not government grants — they are from your university.

Ask your university’s Student Support team for more information as this varies from institution to institution.

Institutional bursaries, access funds, hardship support.

Who is eligible for mature student grants?

General rules:

Must be a full-time student
Must meet residency rules (settled, pre-settled, ILR, UK national, etc.)
Must be studying an eligible higher education course
Must apply for Student Finance England
Must provide evidence (income, childcare, dependants)

Some grants require extra steps (e.g., childcare provider registration).

Before you apply, review the entry requirements for mature students and if you need help with this, give us a shout.

Now, let’s get to more practical things.

How to apply for Grants in UK as a mature student?

Applying to university as a mature student is simple once you know where to go.

Step-by-step:

Apply for Student Finance England (SFE)
During your application, select the grants you want to apply for
Provide additional evidence (birth certificates, childcare details, dependant income)
Wait for assessment
After approval:
- PLA and ADG go into your bank account
- CCG goes through Childcare Grant Payment Service (CCGPS)
Enrol at university → your grants start automatically

Where to apply

All grants come from:
https://www.gov.uk/student-finance