Special Support Grant

**exms** · 11-07-2006, 05:42 PM

I'm ploughing through the DfES / Student Support Direct materials in my quest to update the Mature FAQ. Does anyone have any clue what the Special Support Grant is?

From what I can tell, it's the same thing as the Maintenance Grant (having the same prerequisites and the same amounts) but is intended for those on benefits, and doesn't affect the benefits they receive. What does this name change do? What else does the Special Support Grant give you that the Maintenance Grant doesn't?

I feel like I must be missing something. Either that, or it's just to keep someone at the Department of Work and Pensions busy.

-- A.

**midnite-oil** · 11-07-2006, 07:05 PM

My reading of the info (no personal experience though) is that the maintanance grant is paid to low income families, ie if your parents or whoever is supporting you are on a low income, while the Special Support Grant is for students who in their own right are entitled to benefits - their benefits will not stop if they receive this grant.

**exms** · 11-07-2006, 09:08 PM

Hmmm... ok, that makes a warped kind of sense. I think they should have just kept the same name though, since it's really the same benefit paid under a different title.

Cheers!

-- A.

**midnite-oil** · 11-07-2006, 09:54 PM

Being thoroughly cynical though, it would be good for the government to be able to count up the number of people who wouldn't have been able to scramble up from a doomed life on benefits to the heights of higher ed had it not been for the Special Support Grant.

Education, education, education and all that.