Single Parent thinking of going to college.?

Question

Im a single parent of one now on income support. I am thinking about going to college in september to try and improve my chances of getting a job where I can actually afford to live nicely. Does anyone have any advice about what support I can get. Or if anyone has done the say then please let me know what it was like.

Answer 1

Hi, I am a single parent of 2 and I have been back to college...AND IT'S GREAT...

Being a single parent automatically qualifies you for student loans out the whazoo...lol so you can go to school and get your education, a lot of the grants that you get for being a single parent and such, won't have to be paid back...

Good luck and happy studying...

Answer 2

Well you will be able to get a discount off the courses at the college or you may even get them free because you are on income support. You will also be able to get free childcare or most of it payed for you. You will have to ask a childcare providor and the job centre about this.

Im 19 and i went to college and got pregnant just as i was leaving. But college did nothing for me, i did health and social care and i cant even get a job in a care home. Because they say its not the grades that count its the experience. The grades are just a plus.

So make sure you have got lots of experience in your chosen career. Because i got told good grades will get you places. But in my experience thats a load of poo.

But good look :)

Answer 3

for a person of your sort of state you can take surtain courses that are once or twice a week and cost less than a normal course but it will be spread out a long period as i used to work for a collage my self there is no bad time to go to collage, and if you manage to get a god now or soon then your employer may be willing to support you allong the way as most empoyer are. so the best thing to do is to wait untill you have a job that fits in to your life and go from there.

Answer 4

Im a single parent of 2..

one word i can say is GO! apply for full time as im unsure bout ur fees being paid if ur part-time.

No benfits are affected except child care, and the course depends on hours you go..after 19hrs u get full child care..i think i did anyways.

Leavn this yr after 3 yrs and now headn for uni...and am really scared...

Good luck!!

Answer 5

Most courses in further education will be free.  You can also get help with child care, books and travel.  Just make sure that your course has less than 16 hours actual teaching time ie, in a classroom with a tutor as you could lose IS if it is more than this.

Go and have a great time.

Answer 6

if you're over 21 go for Higher Education so you get the non-repayable Adult Learning Grant, £2700 (or  3x£900) a year!

Also a maintenance loan of over £3,000 - you get that regardless of age.

plus bursaries from the university.

I reccomend a Foundation Degree because they are often crammed into 1 or 2 days and are slightly vocational so you may get a paid placement when studying, raising your employment potential at the end.

There's a big range of subject choice and you can opt to do a further year to top it up to an Hons degree.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Hi there. i dont much like the answers from the first two people, they seem a bit negative. but dont lose heart, keep focussed and you will succeed. go to your local college and ask for a prospectus, ask about help for single parents. some colleges have creches. studying can help you in all sorts of ways, that might not even be obvious. good luck with it all

Answer 8

just go,

have a good time

Answer 9

I am a childminder and i do a lot of work for our local college working with young single parents (mums and dads). If you are under 19 then you will be able to get help through connex look in your yellow pages. If you are above 19 then your college may be offering some sort of help towards you childcare cost. There are a lot of parents who are deciding to go back to college. If you live in Bedfordshire contact me and i may be able to help point you in the right direction. Good luck in what you decide to do.

Answer 10

Well I'm not a single parent but am 19 and a parent of 2 and 1 on the way. I had my first my senior year in high school, and it has been sooo hard. I actually go to school online and it is rather easy than going to a campus college. I have tried both, and many online colleges. I found an online college that I am extremely happy with. I think that it is great for Full time moms. You can go to the schools website at AshfordUniversity.com. It's an online school in Clinton, Iowa and I live in Texas. But it works out awsome. You do one class at a time and get online twice a week to submit assignments, it's rather easy, it's fully accredited and not one of these scam schools, I have tried about 4 schools and wasted 2 years, but now I found a school that's the one. I even talked to the states education department and VA, and  it's NACS and Higher Learning of Education accredited. They work with you well and email you if they ever need anything or call you if you prefer. I'ts  just a great school for moms, and they still offer everyhting as any other school, such as finacial aid, va benefits, scholarships and etc. because their not just online but also are a campus. I think you should take a look at this as an option with being a mom. Yes, I also say you should defintley go back to school, it's great that you are trying to better yours and your childs life. Well good luck and the best of the wishes!