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Student parents

The information on the following pages is for students with caring responsibilities for children. If you have decided to study at university whilst raising your family, then we hope you will find the following pages helpful. If you don't find the answers you are looking for, please contact us at transitions@dmu.ac.uk

  1. Childcare

    Leicester City Council

    The Leicester City Council website includes a directory of information for nurseries and childcare provision in Leicester. They also have a number of useful web links for Children and Family Care.

    Activity Clubs in Leicester

    Clubzone are an established Midlands children’s day activity and club provider operating a variety of holiday, breakfast, lunch, afterschool and term-time clubs.

    Leicestershire and Rutland Sport (LRS) is an Active Partnerships Team for physical activity and sport across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. If you are interested in getting involved in local activities, sports and wellbeing opportunities, they can provide support, advice and information. They can also offer help to become physically active families together.

    Wildlife Watch: explore, discover, learn and be inspired by taking part in events and activities with Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

    PlayFit Kids Club: manage a range of specialist playschemes providing activities to keep children entertained before, and after school, and also during school holidays.

    What’s on for Little Ones: you can find lots of classes and activities for babies, toddlers and pre-school children.

    Help with childcare costs

    Student Finance England offer a Childcare Grant to help students with their childcare costs.

  2. Funding

    DMU Money Advice

    As a student parent, you may be entitled to apply for additional funding to help towards certain costs. To ensure you apply for all the relevant funding, book a Quick Query appointment with DMU Money Advice either by calling (0116) 257 7595 or email moneyadvice@dmu.ac.uk. You can also book a Money Doctor appointment for budgeting advice.


    Student Finance England - Dependant's Grants

    Student Finance England offer a number of grants for students who have children and adults who are financially dependent on them. 

    • Childcare Grant (external link) - available to full time students who have at least one dependent child under 15 at the beginning of the academic year who is in registered or approved childcare.
    • Parent's Learning Allowance (external link) - available to full time students with dependent children, which can help with extra costs associated with being a parent.
    • Adult Dependants' Grant (external link) - available to full time students with a partner or other adult who depends you financially.

  3. Support and guidance

    The Student Gateway

    The Student Gateway, based in Gateway House, is a welcoming, integrated reception for all non-academic enquiries. A number of services are available in the Student Gateway including advice on student finance, wellbeing, disability and more. For more information about these services, please visit the Student Gateway web pages.

    Personal tutors

    DMU provides all of its undergraduate students with a personal tutor who can be contacted regarding any general academic matter, or personal concerns like adjusting to life at DMU. If you aren't sure who your Personal Tutor is, please speak to your Faculty Student Advice Centre.

    Seek support and advice from your tutors as early as possible. At times, your studies do need to take precedence over working part time. Working at regular times also means that you can give your employer as much notice as possible during periods where you might need more time. Often a certain kind of confident assertiveness is required; being assertive is a useful skill, which can be learned and practiced.