What is the current support childcare policy?

In Scotland, there are two strands of student support childcare funding: the Higher Education Undergraduate and Postgraduate Childcare Fund and the Further Education Childcare Fund.

The HE Childcare Fund sits alongside the HE Undergraduate Discretionary Fund and is available to all eligible full-time undergraduate students, including HN students at college. This fund is managed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) but students are assessed at institution level.

The FE Childcare Fund is to provide or fund childcare provision either through a student’s college or through another registered childcare provider. Priority groups are mature students, lone parents and part time students. This fund is managed by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) but students are assessed at institution level.

As student assessments are managed by individual universities and colleges in a way that fits their local needs, the processes of administration vary considerably. Both funds are discretionary, unlike in the rest of the UK where there is a legal entitlement to childcare support. As a result, once funds for the year are spent, any student applying for assistance will be refused.

Why is the current system a problem?

This year, NUS Scotland has been contacted by several college students and students’ associations regarding problems in accessing childcare funding. Increased pressure on childcare funding is now a trend across most of Scotland.

There is a limited pot of money made available each year to the sector and childcare support funding in Scotland is discretionary. This means that, once the money has been spent, any student who asks for assistance from the childcare fund may be turned away.

Each college and university is given a proportion of this money based on demand in previous years. This is also a problem because demand can change considerably from one year to the next. This is particularly noticeable this year when a large proportion of colleges have seen a significant jump in demand - a jump that the limited funding cannot keep up with. If funds were an entitlement (meaning that help with childcare costs would be met by the Scottish Government regardless of a predetermined budget) then students would have been protected. Instead, dozens have been forced to drop out, including many returning students.

Why is it a problem this year?

Even though this system has been around for a while, there have been additional problems this year because of changes to other student support funds. In previous years, students with childcare needs have relied on assistance from the Working for Families budget. However, in 2008, the funds usually ringfenced for childcare under this project have been removed. NUS Scotland understands that, as a result of the removal of this ringfencing, all but one Local Authority area has diverted these funds to other areas. As a result, students who had previously received assistance from this funding are turning back to the college for help. This is putting added pressure on college’s allocated childcare funds and is resulting in students being turned away.

NUS Scotland is already aware of large numbers of student parents having to drop out because they cannot get help with the cost of their childcare to enable them to attend classes.

Evidence also suggests that the Scottish Governments Widening Access Agenda is beginning to have an effect, resulting in more and more parents returning to college and university to study. The Widening Access Agenda aims to encourage people from non-traditional backgrounds into education. This includes encouraging parents back into learning so that they are able to improve their skills and employment opportunities.

Furthermore, this year has seen a change to the benefits system for lone parents. Prior to November 2008, lone parents could claim income support for children up to the age of 16, however, as of November 2008, this age was dropped to 12. There are further proposed reductions to ten years old in October 2009 and seven years old in October 2010. Parents with children over the income support age limit will be moved onto Job Seekers Allowance and encouraged to return to work. We would expect many parents to return to education to assist them with the process of returning to work and would therefore expect demand for student support and childcare support to increase further.

What can I do?

NUS Scotland believes that incidences of lone parents being forced out of education will be particularly prevalent in Scotland. Both the Higher Education Childcare Fund and the Further Education Childcare Fund are discretionary and not a legal entitlement. Lone parents in college education seeking childcare support will be able apply to their college for childcare funding. However, given the pressure on this year’s funding, any increased demand will be catastrophic.

NUS Scotland and its partners are calling on the Scottish Government to take action now to prevent student parents being denied access to education, by matching the rest of the UK and making support for childcare costs a right and not a discretionary privilege.

We really need your help to put pressure on the Scottish Government to make this change. Please help by:

• Signing the petition
• Emailing all your friends/colleagues and encouraging them to sign the petition
• Getting in touch with NUS Scotland to find out how you can get more involved.