Extra financial help

In special circumstances you may be eligible for extra financial support on top of the grants and loans available to all students.

Listed below are the main types of extra financial help that are available.

If you have a disability, for example a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you are entitled to extra financial help as a student.

This is paid on top of any other student finance you may receive.

You can apply for these extra grants and allowances when you fill in the main application for student support.

Go to our Disability and special needs student finance page for more information.

You can find lots of information and help on the following websites;

Skill National Bureau for Students with Disabilities

Direct Gov Disability Pages

If you are a student with children you may be able to get extra help from the Childcare Grant, Parents' Learning Allowance or tax credits.

Students with adult dependants may be entitled to extra help from the Adult Dependants Grant.

You can apply for these extra grants and allowances when you fill in the main application for student support.

Go to our Children and adult dependents student finance page for more information.

If you are a care leaver, you can get financial support on top of the standard grants, bursaries and loans. We don’t want care leavers to be put off higher education because they are worried about the costs of accommodation, travel and general day-to-day living.

Go to our Leaving care student finance page to find out more.

This fund provides support for students on low incomes who may need extra financial help for their course or to stay in higher education.

This help is usually paid as a non-repayable grant but sometimes as a loan.

It is available through your college or university after you start your course.

Your college or university will decide how much you can receive.

You can find out more about the Access to Learning Fund on the Direct Gov Factsheet