Finding childcare is a necessity: it would be extremely difficult for a student parent to balance the academic challenge of a Cambridge degree with full responsibility for taking care of young children at the same time.

Childcare costs in the UK are high, and this is particularly the case in Cambridge where costs are equivalent to those in London. As our own Faculty of Education’s research has shown, adequate financial support is essential to students’ well-being and ability to thrive academically. A lack of finances to support childcare can cause significant anxiety for student parents. This makes performing well in the Cambridge academic environment extremely challenging; a student cannot focus on research and studies if they are preoccupied with the anxiety of unaffordable childcare. 

The vast majority of studentships, scholarships and research funding do not provide means to care for dependents. Without additional support, students would need to have savings or other income streams to be able to study as a parent. Unless they can access funding for childcare, being able to undertake a Cambridge degree would only be available to student parents who have significant financial resources. 

To maintain its world-leading position, Cambridge must be accessible to all the most talented students, regardless of their background or financial circumstances. But we cannot claim to be truly accessible to student parents without provision for childcare needs.

The provision of funding for childcare removes this barrier that exists for student parents who do not have savings or other financial resources. Our Childcare Office currently has some limited funds to help students in the most difficult of circumstances, but the need is far greater than current resources.

“As a mature student with savings, a partner and family nearby, I'm in the best possible place for childcare. Even so, without the childcare hardship fund, I would have likely had to stop my PhD until my children had finished nursery. Double nursery costs are punitive, and combined with a mortgage — which preceded my PhD — and the cost-of-living crisis, our outgoing household costs are easily 250-300% of my stipend. My nursery days are the only time I know I will be able to carry out my research. As a student parent, my partner and I are not eligible for tax relief and free childcare schemes. Without financial support, I would have had to get a job while trying to finish my full-time PhD and parenting young children. I can't imagine how I would have done it without the financial support from the Childcare Office, who have always been so human and kind in their exchanges with me. I'm very grateful.”

All gifts to the Student Childcare Hardship Fund will go towards a student in unforeseen financial difficulty, to provide much-needed funds to pay for professional childcare. These awards are means-tested to ensure we are supporting the students who face the greatest need.

We are grateful for any gift to the Student Childcare Hardship Fund — even a small amount can make a profound difference, both financially and mentally, for student parents.

“My partner and I are both international PhD students at Cambridge, new parents of twins, and this support has helped us immeasurably. It has enabled us to secure more hours of childcare (and thus invaluable research and writing time) for our twins each week, at a gorgeous local nursery. We are hugely grateful, and think this is a wonderful and important source of student support funding.”