Specialist support
Students with children
Specialist support and information for students with children.
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We know students with children have lots of different responsibilities to juggle during their studies.
We have a range of facilities and support available for students with children at York St John.
Funding
There are several additional funding options available to you as a student with children. Learn more about these in the drop-down menu below.
As a parent you may be entitled to a Parents' Learning Allowance and/or a Childcare Grant on top of any student finance you are eligible for. This money does not have to be paid back.
You can apply as part of your main student finance application. You may need to provide evidence of your entitlement for the Childcare Grant. The eligibility criteria can be found on gov.uk.
Student parents studying an undergraduate degree with us may be eligible to apply for one of our Alumni-funded scholarships.
Student parents may also be eligible for one of our YSJ scholarships.
Our Student Funding Advice team provide information, advice and guidance on all funding related issues from pre-application to during your studies. If you are a current student, contact the team by submitting a case through the Student Hub. If you are an applicant, contact the team at fundingadvice@yorksj.ac.uk.
The Gingerbread website has lots of information on funding for single parent students.
Keep in mind that being a student may affect your eligibility for benefits, such as Universal Credit. The Gingerbread website has helpful information about how studying could affect your benefits.
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Children on campus
Please read the Children on Campus policy before bringing your child onto campus.
Children are welcome in our public spaces (such as the Chapel and our catering outlets). However, when on campus, children remain the responsibility of their parent/carer and must be supervised at all times.
We have toys suitable for babies, toddlers and older children in our Chapel kitchen. They are free to use. Please note that toys are only available to use inside the Chapel, and children must be supervised by their parent/carer at all times.
Baby changing and feeding facilities
We have a dedicated Parent and Baby room in the Holgate building on our Lord Mayor's Walk site. It has baby changing facilities, a kettle, microwave, fridge for storing milk and food, a sink and an easy chair.
We recognise the importance of breast/chest feeding in the first two years of an infant's life. The Student Breastfeeding Policy (PDF, 0.1MB) supports students who wish to breast/chest feed their infant as they study, and applies to all students at York St John, across all University sites.
Childcare
Unfortunately, we do not offer childcare facilities on site.
We recommend looking at the childcare providers in your area. If you live in the York area, you can use the City of York Council's Raise York website.
One to one advice and guidance
Our Specialist Support Advisers are here to provide advice and guidance for student parents experiencing any issues which affect their studies or University life.
To contact a Specialist Support Adviser, please use the Specialist Support self-referral form:
Find out more
To find out more about specialist support for student parents at York St John, speak to us at an Open Day or one of our other events.
Current students can access further information about specialist support through our Student Hub.
