Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the Childcare Grant to include PhD students in receipt of stipends.

The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs, including childcare. These support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.

However, a student would not be eligible for a doctoral loan if they are in receipt of stipends.

Postgraduate students are eligible for a different package of support to undergraduate students to help with course fees and living costs, including childcare. These students are therefore not eligible to receive the childcare grant.