Nursery World - Students deterred by funding complexity

Funding arrangements to help students in higher and further education with their childcare costs are so complex and bureaucratic that all but the most persistent and determined students are unlikely to benefit, according to a report published earlier this month. The Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund, a charity that helps students with childcare costs, has described the system as a 'bewildering array of central and related components, both statutory and discretionary' that has 'generated widespread confusion among students'.

The Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund, a charity that helps students with childcare costs, has described the system as a 'bewildering array of central and related components, both statutory and discretionary' that has 'generated widespread confusion among students'.

Its report, UK childcare support for student parents, concludes that there is potentially a considerable amount of help available. However, the 'labyrinthine' application and assessment procedures and piecemeal grant structure are likely to present 'a significant deterrent to all but the most resolute of potential students with dependent children'.

'For those who are already disadvantaged by circumstances or income - the very priority groups the Government seeks to attract into further education - the hurdles may seem so high and numerous as to be insurmountable,' the report said.

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