There are a number of other financial benefits available for students from Government authorities.

Student Finance England

If you already have a Tuition Fee Loan or Maintenance Loan from Student Finance England you may also be eligible for a number of additional grants and allowances, some of which are means tested:

Allowance or Grant	Who's it for?	What is it worth?
Adult Dependant Grant	Full-time students who have an adult depending on them financially	Up to £2,642
Childcare Grant	Full-time students with children	Up to £148.75 a week for one child or £255 for two or more children
Parents' Learning Allowance	Full-time student with children (dependant on household income)	Up to £1,508 a year
Disabled Students' Allowance	Higher education students living with a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty	Depends on individual needs

Social work students

You may be eligible for a Social Work Bursary. Check out the NHS Business Services Authority website for more information.

Child tax credit

Students with dependent children are eligible for Child Tax Credit, whether or not they are working. To qualify for Child Tax Credit, you must be aged 16 or over and be responsible for a child under 16 or for someone aged 16 to 19 in relevant full-time education (full-time non-advanced), or who is registered with the Careers Service or equivalent.

If you have a child under one year old or who is disabled you will qualify for Child Tax Credit at a higher rate. If you receive the maximum amount of Child Tax Credit (and no Working Tax Credit) you are also entitled to free school meals for their children and may be eligible for other assistance.

For more information and to apply online, see the HM Revenues & Customs website or phone the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900, (or 0345 300 3909 for Textphones) for a claim pack.

Council tax

Registered full-time students do not have to pay council tax unless they live with a non-student. If you live with a non-student you can get a 25% discount.

To obtain a discount you will also need to obtain a document from the University iCentre after you have started your course. This proves that you are registered as a full-time student for council tax purposes.

For more information contact your local council tax department.

• Cambridge Council Tax Department
• Chelmsford Council Tax Department

NHS Low income scheme

You may be eligible for help with the costs of prescriptions, glasses and dental treatment through the NHS. Each claim is assessed individually and costs will be awarded depending on your financial circumstances. Find out more from the NHS Business Services website.

To apply you need to use a HC1 claim form. You can get a form from the University iCentre on either campus, from a benefits office, NHS hospital, dentist, doctor or optician.