If you have children and are considering taking up a place at university, you may have concerns about managing your studies alongside the full-time job of parenting. Here’s some advice on how you can balance your education with your caring responsibilities, and how we can support you along the way.
Flexible study options
The idea of starting a full-time course can seem daunting if your caring responsibilities take up a lot of your time. It’s a good idea to enquire about the contact hours of each course (we detail this on all of our course specifications online), as often the amount of time you spend at university will be modest compared to the self-led study you are able to complete at home in your own time.
If you’re unsure about committing to full-time learning, alternative options such as online, part-time and distance learning could be for you. These types of courses require more self-led study and less-to-no contact time. Delivery options will vary from course to course, so be sure to check out the ‘study mode’ details on each course page to see what’s available.
When our student Chloe unexpectedly found out she was pregnant (unbeknownst to her she'd been pregnant for 33 weeks) her plans changed in an instant and she had to embark on a totally new lifestyle. After intilally thinking attending uni wouldn't be possible coming to BCU made Chloe realise that being a parent is just one facet of her identity, and helped her find her individuality again.
"Before coming to BCU I was apprehensive that being a parent learner might make me the odd-one-out. However, student life gave me lots of flexibility which allowed me to spend plenty of time with my daughter in her precious first years, so starting my studies when I did was one of the best decisions I could have made. Balancing my studies with family life was probably the most challenging part of being a student. Parenthood shifts the dynamic of university life, and I soon learnt to adapt in different ways to your ‘usual’ uni student – finding hours in the day I didn’t know existed. While being a parent learner was fairly unique, it didn’t matter to anyone I came across, and I even found a small community of people in similar circumstances to me. "
Financing your degree
The type of financial support available to you will depend on whether you’re studying a full-time, part-time, undergraduate or postgraduate course. The good news is that all of these options are eligible for some kind of funding, from Student Finance or the Government, to help you pay for the cost of the course and your living expenses. For more details of the support that could be available to you, take a look at our student finance information.
On top of any loans from Student Finance or the Government, there are non-repayable grants available for parents who meet certain criteria.
If you have young children who attend nursery or require wrap-around care for school-age children, you may be eligible for Childcare Grants for up to 85% of your childcare costs, you can find out more via UCAS.
Child care support at BCU
Our dedicated child care adviser can offer a range of support and advice.
Support while you study
Our Student Support Team can advise on everything from childcare and finance, to academic and wellbeing matters, making sure that you’re in the best possible position to achieve while you’re with us. You can book confidential 1-1 appointments with our advisers to get all the help you need. If you want to be able to discuss childcare with the team at BCU, don't hesitate to get in touch via email.
We also have a friendly community of parent learners and our very own society for Parents & Carers, where you can meet other students who will understand your circumstances. It’s important to surround yourself with a support network while you study and having like-minded people around you can be really valuable.
