Extend childcare grants to postgraduates, urge universities

The vice-chancellors of four UK universities have written to ministers to urge the Westminster government to expand access to childcare grants to postgraduate students.

It is part of an ongoing campaign by the GW4 Alliance – the universities of Bath, Bristol and Exeter, and Cardiff University – to close a gap in provision for postgraduate students.

Those pursuing master’s and PhDs degrees are ineligible for childcare grants, which are in place for full-time undergraduates, and are also ineligible for childcare benefits, unless they are in substantial paid employment in addition to their studies.

The GW4 Alliance wants the current grant to be extended to postgraduate students, to help ensure that those with children, and those from socio-economically deprived backgrounds, are not disincentivised from pursuing higher qualifications.

Joanna Jenkinson, the director of the GW4, said the institutions were concerned about the impact the current policy was having on the diversity and inclusivity of postgraduate research.

“There are solutions for both undergraduate students and staff at our universities. But unfortunately, postgraduate researchers have fallen between the gaps in provision, usually unable to meet the eligibility requirements for government schemes or student support,” she said.

“We want to work with government to ensure parents of young children are not disincentivised from upskilling or reskilling and pursuing postgraduate qualifications and then accessing the high-skilled jobs that require these qualifications.”

Most PhD programmes expect postgraduate students to study full-time, and some prohibit students from undertaking any regular outside work.

The typical stipend of between £15,000 and £19,000 is designed to cover the cost of housing and other living expenses, but that is insufficient to also cover the average cost of a full-time childcare place, estimated to cost more than £14,000 a year for a child aged under two.

Kate Bowen-Viner, a parent and a social policy PhD student at the University of Bristol, said she spent her entire stipend on childcare.

“I feel like this government and the university system does not want me, or parents like me, to undertake postgraduate qualifications or progress in their careers,” she said.

“It’s disheartening, and on some days I feel like leaving my PhD is the more sensible option than continuing in academia.”

The GW4 Alliance said a change in legislation could directly impact about 10,000 postgraduate researchers and nearly 50,000 taught postgraduate candidates across the country.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com