Higher Education full-time study
Full-time students are generally not eligible to claim benefits. A course of Higher Education is full-time for benefits purposes if the college or university says it is a full-time course.
Full-time students who are lone parents and students with disabilities (and some other groups) may be eligible in certain circumstances. Any benefits you get will take into account the amount of the maximum loan available to you, with some disregards, whether you have borrowed up to your maximum or not. You should discuss this with your student adviser as well as your local Jobcentre Plus office.
Some benefits are not affected by studying full-time, eg child tax credit, maternity allowance.
For more information see CPAG's online Benefits for Students in Scotland handbook at http://scottishhandbooks.cpag.org.uk.
Higher Education part-time study
If you are currently eligible for certain income-related benefits (income support, jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit), you may still be entitled to them when you become a part-time or distance-learning student. It is important to discuss this with your college, university, Open University or distance-learning provider student advisor as well as your local Jobcentre Plus office. See the benefits information in the further education part-time section below, for iinformation about jobseeker's allowance and income support for part-time students.
Generally, Jobcentre Plus will ignore payments you receive that are for a specific purpose. As your loan is for study-related costs, such as equipment, travel, books, photocopying and paper, this should not affect your benefits. Any payments you receive from Discretionary or similar funds will not be taken into account unless the payment is towards certain living costs such as food, rent, fuel and some others.
You can find more details about your benefit entitlements from your local Jobcentre Plus office, your college or university, the Open University, your distance-learning provider or the National Union of Students
More information is available. Check out CPAG's online Benefits for Students in Scotland handbook at http://scottishhandbooks.cpag.org.uk.
Further education full-time study
A Further Education course is full-time for most benefits purposes if it is not treated as part-time as set out in the section below.
Most students are not entitled to any benefits while studying full-time. However, some benefits are not affected by full-time study, eg child tax credit, maternity allowance.
If you are aged 19 or under, or aged 19 and were under 19 when you were accepted on or started your course, your parents can usually continue to claim child benefit, child tax credit and other benefits for you while you are studying.
If your parents would receive child benefit/child tax credit and other benefits for you, but do not because you are estranged from them, or living away from them for certain other reasons, you can claim income support even though you are a full-time student. You can only claim in these circumstances up until the age of 20, and if you are 19, only in the circumstances outlined above.
Lone parents, some parent couples and disabled students can also claim income support. Lone parents, parent couples and disabled students and students under 20 as described above are eligible for housing benefit.
If you are receiving income support due to ill health or incapacity benefit you should first discuss your plans with your doctor and/or with a benefits adviser or Jobcentre Plus staff.
For more information see CPAG's online Benefits for Students in Scotland handbook at http://scottishhandbooks.cpag.org.uk.
Further Education part-time study
A course of Further Education is part-time for most benefit purposes if you are:
- under 19, or aged 19 if you were accepted on or started your course when you were under 19, and
- your course is 12 hours or less a week; or
- aged 19 when you were accepted on or start your course, or aged 20 or over, and
- your course consists of 16 hours or less of classes a week, or 21 hours or less a week when you include all study requirements.
If your course is above these limits then you are a full-time student.
If you are signing on as unemployed and claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) you may be allowed to study part-time while remaining on JSA if:
- the course you are studying is part-time; and
- you continue to be available for and actively seeking work; and
- you are willing to give up your course or re-arrange the hours to take up a job
Special rules allow some young people who would be full-time under the 12 hour rule to continue to receive JSA, as long as the course is not full-time according to the 16/21 hour rule. This applies if you have been receiving certain benefits or were on a youth training course for three months before you began studying part-time.
If you are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and wish to study part-time you should contact your local Jobcentre Plus office. You may be asked to complete a student questionnaire and bring along a Learning Agreement from the college and have it authorised by Jobcentre Plus.
In general, your income support is not affected if you start studying part-time. For example, if you are a lone parent claiming income support you will be able to study part-time without affecting your entitlement.
If you are receiving income support due to ill health, or incapacity benefit, and are considering studying at college part-time, you should first discuss your plans with your doctor and/or with a benefits adviser or Jobcentre Plus staff.
Further information is available from the Bursary Officer or student services section of your college.
For more information see CPAG's online Benefits for Students in Scotland handbook at http://scottishhandbooks.cpag.org.uk.