Discretionary & Childcare Funds (UK Students)
Discretionary and Childcare Funds
About the Funds
The Discretionary and Childcare Funds provide financial support to eligible students to help cover costs relating to childcare, living expenses, and study needs (excluding tuition fees). Since funds are limited, we recommend applying as early as possible, ideally at the start of the academic year.
While these funds can help reduce financial pressure, they are not meant to cover all your expenses or replace your primary income. Most awards are given as monthly, non-repayable payments until the end of July. Some students may receive a one-time, non-repayable grant instead.
Childcare Support
If you recieve childcare support, its important to notify the Financial Aid Team right away of any changes to your registered childcare arrangements. Changes could affect your payment amounts, possibly leading to overpayments or underpayments.
Please note that childcare awards are paid directly to you, not the childcare provider. Payments are made in arrears (after the childcare services have been provided). It's your responsibility to ensure that your childcare provider is paid on time. If you experience any issues with your payments, such as a missed payment, please contact the Financial Aid Team as soon as possible for assistance.
We work with childcare providers to verify costs and ensure accuracy and instances of fraudulent claims are reported.
Discretionary Fund
The Discretionary Fund provides support to eligible students to help with living and study-related expenses, excluding tuition fees.
For students on longer courses, like postgraduate programs, the fund typically offers more substantial support compared to those on shorter courses.
Additional support is available to students who are carers, estranged from family, mature learners, or have dependent children. These groups often receive extra financial assistance compared to others.
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For Student Carers
If you have caring responsibilities, you may be eligible for extra financial support to help with the additional costs. When applying, make sure to indicate your status as a Student Carer in the Personal Statement section of your application. Also, provide proof of any extra expenses related to your caregiving duties.
It's important to note that parental responsibilities alone do not qualify for Student Carer status, unless you are caring for a disabled child. Similarly, caring responsibilities in a voluntary placement or those for which you receive payment do not meet the criteria for this status.
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For Estranged Students
Estranged students may qualify for extra funds to help with the specific challenges they face.
An estranged student is someone who no longer has contact with their family due to a breakdown in the relationship. This could involve biological or adoptive parents, or other family members who previously supported you. Estranged students have not been in the care system and do not have a corporate parent.
If you're studying without family support but are not care-experienced, let us know so we can offer appropriate help.
All estrangement declarations will be kept confidential and used to provide you with additional support during your studies.
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For Mature Students
You may be eligible for additional funds if:
- You are 25 or older at the start of the academic year;
- You are under 25 but have been granted independent status by your funding agency.
Please note that if you receive any young student bursaries or allowances, you will not be classified as a mature student.
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Childcare Fund
The Childcare Fund provides support to eligible students funded by SAAS to help with childcare costs from registered or formal providers that are not covered by other sources.
The fund covers childcare costs only during study time, not for working hours.
Childcare costs before the start of your academic year are not covered so please ensure that your Registered Childcare Pro Forma is completed from the official start date of your academic year. Additionally, your child(ren) must have commenced childcare before submitting your application.
If you receive support from Student Finance England, Northern Ireland, or Wales, you are not eligible for the Childcare Fund. However, you can apply for the Discretionary Fund.
The SAAS Lone Parents Childcare Grant (LPCG) is available for lone parents to help with formal, registered childcare expenses during study time. This grant is not means-tested, so your income doesn’t affect eligibility.
Note for Lone Parents - Please make sure you have applied to SAAS for the Lone Parent Grant (LPG).
Am I Eligible?
You can apply for the Discretionary Fund if you meet the below criteria:
- You are a UK domiciled student receiving your full Student Loan entitlement or you are a UK domiciled student on a course that does not offer Student Loan Funding. E.g Phd/Part-Time
- You are fully registered for the current academic year in an undergraduate degree or higher. (Note: Short Courses, Upskilling, and undergraduate certificate students are not eligible.)
You can apply for the Childcare Fund if you meet both of these criteria:
- You are a full-time Scottish domiciled student receiving your full Student Loan entitlement.
- You are eligible for full-time tuition fee support from SAAS.
For both funds, you must show financial difficulty by proving a shortfall between your income and expenses.
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Who is not eligible?
You are not eligible for the funds if:
- You are an international or EU student, unless you were living in the UK before starting your course and are receiving a UK Student Loan.
- You are studying below undergraduate level, such as Short Courses or undergraduate certificates.
- You are enrolled in Upskilling courses
- You have not received your full Student Loan entitlement.
- You receive tuition fee funding from Student Finance England, Northern Ireland, or Wales (you can still apply for the Discretionary Fund but not the Childcare Fund).
- You are a part-time student (you can apply for the Discretionary Fund, but not the Childcare Fund).
Additionally, you cannot apply for the funds if you are registered as:
- Erasmus Incoming
- Exchange In
- Reassessment of Dissertation
- Sabbatical
- Visiting In
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How to Apply
1. Check that you are eligible to apply.
2. Ensure you have completed Academic and Financial Registration
3. Collate all supporting documents as individual PDFs (ilovepdf.com)
Discretionary and Childcare Application Form 2025/26
Registered Childcare Pro Forma 2025-26
4. Sign Student Declaration and Privacy Notice (on application form)
5. Submit your application as a single email from your UofG email account, to the relevant address:
Discretionary Fund: discretionaryfund@glasgow.ac.uk
Childcare Fund: childcarefund@glasgow.ac.uk
In your email, include:
- A single PDF containing your Application Form
- Separate PDFs containing each supporting document, clearly labelled (e.g. Current Account Transactions PDF, Savings Account Statement PDF, SAAS Award Letter PDF, etc.)
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Has my application been processed?
We cannot process your application if:
- It is submitted before your course starts
- It is not submitted as a PDF
- It has missing or unsuitable supporting documents
- It is sent over multiple emails or from different email addresses.
Complete applications are processed first. If your application is incomplete, we will contact you for missing information.
We aim to process applications within 4 weeks of receipt, however during busy times (like the start of term), it may take longer. Childcare Fund applications are given priority whenever possible.
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Required Supporting Documents
For all applicants
1. Bank Statement(s) (including spouse/partner if cohabiting):
- Mandatory for all applicants.
- We require recent 30-day bank statements for all accounts held in your name (and your partner/spouse’s name where applicable).
- Statements should demonstrate all monthly income and expenditure as declared on your application form.
- Online statements are acceptable. Excel spreadsheets and word documents are not.
2. Tenancy Agreement/Mortgage Statement:
- The tenancy agreement should be current and include the applicant’s name, property address, dates of agreement, and monthly costs.
- An annual mortgage statement or a letter from the provider confirming the applicant’s name, address, and monthly payments is required.
- Sub-tenants without a formal lease agreement should provide a letter from their landlord.
3. 2025/26 Award Notification Letter - SAAS/SFE/SFNI/SFW:
- This document is accessible via the online account with the respective Student Finance body (SAAS, Student Finance England/Northern Ireland/Wales).
4. Birth Certificate for Dependent Child(ren):
- Please provide this document for all dependent children.
- If obtaining a birth certificate is challenging, passports or tax credit/Universal Credit (UC) statements are acceptable. If using tax credit/UC statements, the full statement confirming dependent children must be attached.
5. Tax/Universal Credit Statement: (if applicable)
- You should provide a copy of your full, most recent statement that shows any contribution towards childcare costs and/or rent for the academic year.
For childcare applicants (in addition to above)
6. Please download:
Registered Childcare Pro Forma 2025-26
To be completed by your childcare provider.
- One Registered Childcare Pro Forma per child, per childcare provider. If multiple children attend the same provider, multiple forms are required.
7. Other Relevant Documents
- Please provide any other documents that may support your case
Application Top Tips
Do's:
- Prepare all required documents in advance. Make sure each is saved as a separate, clearly labeled PDF before applying.
- Use online tools to convert your documents to PDF and combine multiple pages into one file if needed.
- If your files are too large to attach to an email, use online tools to reduce the file size.
Dont's:
- Do not submit individual files for each page (e.g., separate PDF files for each bank statement page). Applications like this cannot be processed.
- Avoid adding extra information in your application email. Only labeled PDFs will be reviewed. Include any additional details in the Personal Statement section of your application form.
- Do not submit zip files or shared documents.
- Online bank statements are acceptable. Excel spreadsheets and word documents are not.
- Once your application is submitted, you cannot add more documents unless requested by the Financial Aid Team. Please avoid sending multiple emails.
How to Appeal if Your Application is Unsuccessful
If your initial application is unsuccessful, you can submit an appeal for a review. Please ensure that all required supporting documents are included, as only complete applications can be considered.
- To request an appeal, please email discretionaryandchildcare@glasgow.ac.uk
- In your email, provide a detailed explanation of why you believe your application meets the eligibility criteria.
- You can include any additional information or evidence that may help your case.
- Mark your email as high importance and use the subject line: "Discretionary/Childcare Fund Application Appeal."
The Financial Aid Team will review your appeal, and you will receive an outcome via email within 28 working days.
Request a Reassessment
If you experience a significant financial setback due to an unforeseen incident after receiving support from the funds and struggle to meet your living costs, you can request a reassessment of your application.
To initiate a reassessment, email discretionaryandchildcare@glasgow.ac.uk providing a detailed explanation of the changes in your financial situation. Be sure to include evidence of any alterations to your income or expenditure. Mark your email as high importance and use 'Discretionary/Childcare Fund Reassessment' as the subject line.
Please refrain from submitting a second application if you have already received support this year, unless specifically invited to do so.
The Financial Aid Team will review your reassessment request, and you can expect to receive confirmation of the outcome via email within 28 working days of receipt.
Please note that awards provided through reassessment will be limited and are typically not as large as any initial award from the funds.