Students with children can claim help with their living costs

Benefits, grants, bursaries: the funding options for students are complex and varied. BBC News tries to plot a course through the higher education money maze.

Some help is available to pay for the costs of accommodation, living expenses, childcare and even free NHS prescriptions.

However, most of these benefits are only available to groups such as lone parents, the disabled and pensioners, or if the student has a partner who is not a student and is receiving means-tested benefits.

Most other students will have to rely on student loans, contributions from parents and money earned from work to help them through their course.

As for tuition fees, approximately 50% of students in England and Wales come from households with a low enough income to be exempt from having to pay.

Who is eligible for help with the cost of accommodation?

As the name suggests Housing Benefit pays all or part of the rent on the main residence of an eligible claimant.

Housing Benefit isn't available to all students. Instead, it's meant to help those that are responsible for a child - including foster parents - the disabled, and pensioners.

Housing Benefit is also open to the partners of students that are responsible for a child.

However, those eligible who are under the age of 25 and living on their own may not have the full cost of their accommodation covered - particularly in areas where rents are high.

What about help with living expenses?

Many students that are eligible to claim Housing Benefit are also entitled to Income Support.

Lone parents over the age of 18 will receive a basic �56.20 a week and couples �88.15.

Income Support is means tested, with student loans and special access grants treated as income for the purpose of assessing eligibility.

There is also a new Parents Learning Allowance (PLA) to meet course-related costs for student parents

Is there any help with childcare?

There are currently 14 different grants and bursaries that were available last year are being streamlined into five grants over the next two years.

The Childcare Grant is available to full time higher education students.

Again it is means-tested and is only paid to students using registered or approved childcare.

All families with incomes of less than �50,000 a year will get at least �545 a year from the "family element" of the credit How to claim tax credits

The grant can cover up to 85% of child care costs throughout the whole year.

All students with dependent children can also apply for the Child Tax Credit from Revenue & Customs.

Parents who are receiving the maximum amount of Child Tax Credit should also be entitled to free school meals for their children.

Importantly, the Childcare Grant is not included when assessing eligibility for other benefits.

In addition, students with children can sometimes claim access bursaries to help with the costs of going to college.

Both the guide and the fact sheet can be downloaded from the Forms and Guides from the Student Support section on the DFES website (see link on right).

You can also get a copy of the guide and fact sheet from your LEA. Also, copies of the guide can be ordered from 0800 731 9133.

For information about childcare that is available in your area, visit www.childcarelink.gov.uk or phone the free phone number 0800 096 02 96.

What about mature students?

Mature students returning to education can sometimes obtain an access grant from their chosen university or college. This is often in the form of a non-refundable bursary of up to �1,000.

As for those over 60, if they are on a low income they can apply, and meet certain conditions, they could apply for the Pension Credit which will ensure they receive a minimum income of �114.05 a week for a single pensioner and �174.05 for couples (2006/2007 tax year).

Is there any special extra help for disabled students?

The Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) can help pay for specialist equipment, a non-medical carer and travel costs.

In addition to the DSA, it is possible to obtain a "two homes" allowance if undertaking a course entails the student living somewhere else other than their usual home.