Benefits and financial support for students
Benefits for students depend on your personal circumstances, such as your income and savings you may have. You may not be able to get benefits if the income you get through student finance is too high.
Where to go for advice
If you’re already claiming income-related benefits and want to start a higher education course, you should ask your local Jobs and Benefits office how this will affect your benefits.
If you’re currently at university or college, a student adviser will be able to help you work out if you qualify for any benefits.
Who can claim benefits
Full-time students
Most full-time students can't claim income-related benefits but you may be able to make a claim if you:
- are a lone parent
- have a partner who is also a student - and one or both of you are responsible for a child have a disability and qualify for the disability premium or severe disability premium of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
If you have a partner who is not a student and they’re eligible for any income-related benefits, your partner can claim on behalf of you both.
Part-time students
Part-time students can apply for income related benefits if they’re on a low income and meet the certain conditions.
Income-related benefits
Income-related benefits you may be able to claim are:
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance
You can find out more by following the links below.
Student Loans and grants counted as income
When working out if you’re eligible for income-related benefits while you are a student, certain types of student finance will be counted as income.
Student support counted as income
Types of student support counted as income are:
- the majority of any Student Loan for Maintenance Loan you are entitled to, even if you choose not to take it out
- Adult Dependants' Grant
- Access to Learning Fund payments meant to help with general living costs (though in some circumstances, all or part of the payment may be disregarded)
- Maintenance Grant (available to full-time students who started their course in September 2006 or later)
- Bursaries (available to full-time students who started their course in September 2006 or later) that are not for course-related costs, or childcare
- Higher Education Bursary
Student support not counted as income
The following will not count as income:
- Tuition Fee Grant (for full-time students whose courses began before September 2006)
- Student Loan for Tuition Fees
- Childcare Grant
- Parents' Learning Allowance
- Access to Learning Fund payments that are not for general living costs
- Special Support Grant (available to full-time students who started their course in September 2006 or later, and fall within the groups of students listed in the Income Support or Housing Benefit regulations)
- Bursaries (available to full-time students who started their course in September 2006 or later) that are for course-related costs, or childcare
Other support
If you get other forms of support, speak to your student adviser at university or college to find out whether they are counted as income when working out your entitlement to benefits.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Full-time students
If you’re studying full time, you may be able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance during the summer holiday if:
- you're a lone parent
- you have a partner who is also a full-time student, and one or both of you is responsible for a child or young person
- you also need to be available for and actively seeking work
You may also be able to claim if you’re waiting to go back to a course, having taken approved time out for a period of up to one year because of an illness or caring responsibility that has now come to an end.
Part-time students
If you’re studying part-time, you may be able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance if you are:
- out of work or working less than 16 hours a week on average
- capable of working
- available for work
- actively seeking work
- below retirement age
Normally, you must also be aged 18 or over. You must be willing to go to a job interview, even if you have to take time off from your course. You should also be prepared to rearrange your hours of study to fit around a job.
Incapacity Benefit and contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) are sources of support for people with an illness or disability that affects their ability to work. If you already claim one of these benefits, you may be able to carry on getting it as a student.
Other help
Working Tax Credit
If you’re working as well as being either a full-time or part-time student, you may be able to get Working Tax Credit.
If you receive the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit, you won’t be able to claim the Childcare Grant as well.
Child Tax Credit
You may be able to claim Child Tax Credit if you are a student and are responsible for a child. Higher rates are available if:
- you have more than one child
- your child is disabled
- Tax credits (GOV.UK website)
More about student finance
You can find out more about the help available through student finance, including grants, and (for full-time students) student loans and bursaries, by following the link below.