Universal Credit and students

Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income or out of work.

Studying full-time

You cannot usually get Universal Credit if you’re studying full-time. There are some exceptions.

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re studying full-time and any of the following apply:

• you’re aged 21 or under, in full-time non-advanced education and do not have parental support
• you’re responsible for a child
• you live with your partner and they’re eligible for Universal Credit
• you’ve reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit and live with a partner who is under that age
• you’ve received a Migration Notice telling you to move to Universal Credit
• you’re disabled, were assessed as having limited capability for work before starting your coursecourse, and are getting:
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Child Disability Payment in Scotland
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment

You may also be able to get Universal Credit if you’re studying in full-time non-advanced education, you do not get a student loan or maintenance grant and youyou’re are available for work. If the course is more than 12 hours a week, this only applies from 1 September following your 19th birthday. This is because your parents can claim benefits for you before that date.

You may be asked to provide evidence of the course youyou’re are doing.

Aged 21 or under, in non-advanced education and do not have parental support

This includes if you’ve left care provided by the local council or you’re without parental support.

You may be eligible for Universal Credit if:

• you’re on a full-time course of non-advanced education or training that started before you reached age 21
• you reach age 21 while you’re on the course

You can continue to get Universal Credit until:

• the end of the academic year in which you reach age 21
• the end of the course, if it ends before you reach age 21

You’re responsible for a child

The child may be adopted or a foster child.

For couples, one of you or both of you may be a student.

What counts as a full-time course

The education or training provider usually decides whether a course is full-time.

If you attend a full-time course on a part-time basis, youyou’ll will be treated as studying full-time.

A course is an arrangement of study, tuition or training. It can be academic, practical, or a combination of both. It is usually done at, or by arrangement with, an education or training provider.

It will often lead to a qualification when it is completed. Some non-advanced study, tuition or training, may not lead to a formal qualification. This does not mean that it is not a course.

Examples of full-time courses of advanced education

Full-time courses of advanced education include those leading to:

• a postgraduate degree or comparable qualification
• a first degree or comparable qualification
• a diploma of higher education
• a higher national diploma
• any other course of study of a standard above:
  • advanced GNVQ or equivalent
  • a Scottish higher or advanced higher national qualification

Examples of full-time courses of non-advanced education

Non-advanced education is any qualificationcourse up to A Level, or equivalent.

Full-time courses include:

• AS Levels
• A Levels
• BTEC Levels and BTEC Extended Diploma, up to Level 3
• entry level skills courses
• GCSEs
• National 5s (N5s)
• National Qualification Framework level 3 or the Scottish Qualification framework level 6
• GeneralNational Certificate ofor EducationDiploma
• NVQs, AdvancedAwards, levelCertificates (Aor Level)Diplomas, up to Level 3
• ASSkills Levelfor Life

It does not include apprenticeships or any advanced education course, such as:

• Advanceduniversity Diplomadegrees
• Nationalhigher Diploma,national Certificatediploma
• BTEC orHigher AwardNational Certificates
• Levelany 3course NVQ,above Award,Scottish Certificatehighers or Diplomaadvanced higher national qualifications

Studying part-time

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re available for work and studying part time.part-time.

If the course is more than 12 hours a week non-advanced education, this only applies from 1 September following your 19th birthday. This is because your parents can claim benefits for you before that date.

You may be asked to provide evidence of the course youyou’re are doing.

StudentHow student income andaffects your Universal Credit

You may be entitled to Universal Credit if you receive a student loan or grant. 

Your student incomeincome, such as loans and grants, can affect how much Universal Credit you get.

Student loans

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Special ifSupport Loan or Grant

If you receive a Special Support Loan or Grant, this will not be deductedtaken fromoff your Universal Credit.

A ThisSpecial providesSupport Loan or Grant provides help towards costs of study, such as books, equipment and travel.

Special Support Loan or Grant

You may get a Special Support Loan or Grant if you get or qualify for:

• Income Support
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• the housing element of Universal Credit

You may get the Special Support Loan or Grant if, for example, you’re a lone parent or have certain disabilities.

If you live in England the Special Support Grant was replaced by the Special Support Loan from the beginning of the 2016 to 2017 academic year. If you live in Wales, it is called a Special Support Grant.

You’ll be told if you can get the Loanloan or Grantgrant when you apply for student finance.

Postgraduate maintenanceloans

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Postgraduate Master’s Loan

A Postgraduate Master’s LoanLoans can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Postgraduate Master’s Loans in England and Wales include maintenance and tuition fees in one payment. When working out your Universal Credit, 30% of the loan is taken into account as student income. The rest is ignored.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you normally live in Scotland,Scotland Wales or Northern Ireland. Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

A Postgraduate Doctoral LoanLoans can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

Funding for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is different if you normally live in Wales.

The Postgraduate Master’s and Doctoral loans are paid as one payment in 3 instalments over each year of the course and are all treated the same way when working out your Universal Credit. They are all a contribution to both living costs and tuition fees.

When working out your Universal Credit, 30% of the loan willis be taken into account andas thestudent restincome. willThe berest excluded.is ignored.

GrantsStudent grants

If you’re a full-time higher education student, you may be able to get a non-repayable grant from the government to help with accommodation and other living costs. There are also other types of grants that can help with things like childcare, tuition fees or examination fees.

If you get Universal Credit and are eligible for a student loan, your students grant will be taken into account for specific amounts which cover:

• your rent costs
• the maintenance costs of another person included in your Universal Credit award

If you get Universal Credit and are not eligible for a student loan, the following student grants will not be included in the calculation:

• tuition and examination fees
• your disability
• expenses for residential study away from an educational establishment
• living away from your usual place of study
• maintenance of dependent adult (if the Universal Credit award does not include an amount for this person)
• books and equipment
• travel expenses
• childcare costs

Help and advice

If you need help claiming Universal Credit, contact the Universal Credit helpline.

Find more information about help with student finance.