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Eligibility criteria for women in Higher Education

The Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund (ENEF) makes awards only towards paying for the care of children, or other family members with specific needs, to women who are studying for a first qualification at higher education level to improve their employment prospects. The awards are competitive, and depend on the ability of applicants to complete their courses successfully, as well as on financial need. Awards are not intended to meet the full costs of care.

ENEF holds two grant-making meetings each year. Meeting dates and deadlines are posted on the website, and an application form is available to download approximately six weeks before the closing date of the next meeting.

Please note the following before you consider applying:

• Students who are eligible for either the HE Childcare Grant or the NHS Childcare Allowance (England and Wales) or the DELNI Childcare Grant (Northern Ireland) are generally not eligible for ENEF support, nor are students eligible for the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit. However, students whose courses include shifts and placements outside normal working hours (e.g. nursing, social work) and who are using a mixture of formal care, where they are receiving one of the above grants and informal care, may be considered for help with the informal care element.

• Applicants who are eligible to apply for the Student Loan for Maintenance and the Student Loan for Tuition Fees must do so before applying to ENEF.

• Applicants who are eligible to apply to the Access to Learning Fund (England), Financial Contingency Fund (Wales), Hardship and Childcare Funds (Scotland) or Support Fund (Northern Ireland) must do so before applying to ENEF.

• Applicants with debts must seek advice on debt management from their Student Services Office before applying to ENEF.

• Applicants who have previously been unsuccessful in applying for ENEF support may not re-apply.

• Applicants who fail to meet the requirements of the course for the year in which they were funded may not re-apply.

All applicants are subject to the eligibility criteria below.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Personal Criteria (applicants must meet ALL personal criteria)

Applicants must:

• be women

• have principal caring responsibility for EITHER a child or children under the age of 14 AND/OR a family member in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance (under 65 years) or Attendance Allowance (65 years or over).

• have been ordinarily resident in the UK for 3 years before the start of the academic year in which the course begins, or have been granted refugee status, exceptional leave to enter/remain in the UK, discretionary leave or humanitarian protection (ordinary residence applies to ELE/ELR, DL and HP)

• be studying, or have an offer of a place, at an LEA recognised college or university

• have a gross household income not greater than £22,560 per annum.

Education Criteria

Support is given to women:

• pursuing a course leading to the following levels of qualification: HNC, HND, CertHE, DipHE, foundation degree or first degree, AND

• pursuing a full-time or part-time course, AND

• pursuing a higher education course designated for student support by the Local Education Authority, National Health Service, or equivalent funding body,

BUT NOT to women

• pursuing a further education course, second undergraduate course, intercalated degree, postgraduate course or a distance learning course (including Open University).

Care Criteria

Applicants fulfilling the criteria in the two sections above may apply for a contribution to the costs of the formal and/or informal care of their family members as follows:

A. The costs of care of a child or children normally up to the age of 14. For children under 8 years of age, ENEF grants can only be made for childcare which complies with the Children Act 1989. That is, childcare should be provided by:

• a registered crèche, nursery, playgroup or after-school club;
• a childminder, IF s/he is registered with the local authority, OR is a relative, OR looks after your child in your own home, OR looks after your child for less than 2 hours a day.

AND / OR
B. The costs of care of a family member (or members) who is (or are) disabled or chronically sick. In this case, grants can only be made for the care of family members in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance (under 65 years) or Attendance Allowance (65 years or over).

Last Updated Thu, 1 May 2008