Childcare While Studying at University in Scotland

Studying at university with a child is one of the hardest financial juggling acts in Scotland. The good news is that the support available to student parents is more generous than many realise, and a properly assembled package of grants can fully cover nursery fees for some lone-parent households. The bad news is that the system is fragmented across several agencies and you have to apply for each piece separately.

The four main sources of support

There are four main funding sources for student parents in Scotland:

1. SAAS Childcare Fund — non-repayable grant for childcare costs.
2. Lone Parents' Grant — additional non-repayable grant for single full-time students.
3. Dependants' Grant — additional support for students with financially dependent adults or children.
4. Funded hours from age 3 (or eligible 2-year-olds) — Scotland's universal early years entitlement.

You can stack several of these together. Most student parents underclaim simply because they don't know to.

SAAS Childcare Fund

The SAAS Childcare Fund is administered by your university or college on behalf of SAAS, not by SAAS directly. You apply through your institution's student funding or finance office.

Key features:

• Non-repayable grant (not a loan).
• For full-time higher education students with childcare costs at a registered provider.
• Means-tested on household income.
• Can cover registered childminders, day nurseries, after-school care and holiday clubs.
• Maximum awards vary by institution and academic year. Awards of £3,000 to £5,000+ are not unusual for lone parents with low incomes; higher figures are possible in exceptional cases.

You must reapply each academic year. Awards are usually paid in instalments aligned to your term dates.

Lone Parents' Grant

If you are a lone parent (a single person with a dependent child living with you) studying full-time undergraduate higher education and eligible for SAAS funding, you qualify for the Lone Parents' Grant. In 2024-25 this was £1,335 per year. The grant for 2026-27 should be checked on the SAAS website as it may have been uplifted.

It is paid alongside your student loan and bursary, and is non-repayable.

Dependants' Grant

If you have a financially dependent adult — for example, a non-working partner — you may also qualify for the Dependants' Grant. The maximum was £2,640 in 2024-25 (subject to means-testing). Check current SAAS rates before applying.

Funded hours and your 3-year-old

Once your child turns 3 (or in some cases 2, if you meet the qualifying benefits or income criteria), they are entitled to 1,140 funded hours per year in Scotland regardless of whether you are a student. Apply through your council's early learning and childcare team. Most councils now offer year-round or "stretched" delivery, which is particularly useful for students on year-long courses with summer assessment.

Funded hours combined with the SAAS Childcare Fund can fully cover a 3-year-old's nursery costs for many low-income student families.

University hardship and discretionary funds

Beyond the SAAS Childcare Fund, every Scottish university administers a Discretionary Fund for students facing financial hardship. This can pay for:

• One-off childcare costs not covered by the SAAS Childcare Fund.
• Emergency childcare during exams or placements.
• Travel costs to nursery if your placement is far from home.

Apply through your student funding office. Awards are confidential and do not affect your other entitlements.

Universities with on-campus nurseries

A handful of Scottish universities run their own day nurseries open to students and staff:

• University of Strathclyde — Strathclyde Nursery (Glasgow city centre).
• University of Edinburgh — Kings Buildings Nursery and others.
• University of Stirling — on-campus nursery.
• University of Glasgow — partnerships with nearby private nurseries rather than its own facility.
• University of Aberdeen — Rocking Horse Nursery.

Most operate at standard private-nursery fee levels (£250 to £320 per week for under-2s, broadly in line with the Coram 2026 averages). They are not subsidised by the university, but they are typically convenient for lectures and library work and often run on academic-term plus reduced-summer schedules.

Postgraduates: a tougher deal

If you are a postgraduate student, your funding rules differ significantly:

• The Lone Parents' Grant does not apply to postgraduate students.
• The SAAS Childcare Fund for postgraduate students is smaller than the undergraduate equivalent.
• Many postgraduate scholarships (UKRI, charity-funded) do not include dependants' allowances by default — you must ask.
• You may be more reliant on Universal Credit if you are not earning, but UC and full-time study interact in complex ways. Get welfare-rights advice before applying.

For PhD students with families, the picture varies enormously by funder. Some offer dependants' allowances of £2,000 to £5,000 per child per year; others offer nothing.

Putting a package together

A realistic worked example: a lone parent on a four-year undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh, with a 2-year-old in nursery 25 hours per week.

This package can cover the full cost of the nursery place and a meaningful chunk of household income alongside the student loan.

Studying with young children is hard, but the financial side does not need to be the part that stops you. The system rewards parents who apply for every piece of support they're entitled to.