The message many parents receive is simple: you can have children, or you can pursue higher education. This sentiment is echoed by Roberta Leem-Bruggen, who shares her personal struggle with the lack of childcare support for parents in higher education.
In a letter responding to Jamie Evans' piece on childcare eligibility and the 'nerd tax' (28 May), Leem-Bruggen describes her experience as a single parent studying for a clinical master's degree in 2020. She spent over 40 hours a week on compulsory NHS placements while completing academic work. During that time, she received universal credit, including the childcare element, which allowed her to continue her studies.
However, halfway through her degree, she was informed that because she was not technically earning while undertaking placements, she had never been eligible for childcare support and had to repay close to £10,000. Leem-Bruggen challenged the decision in court, but despite the Department for Work and Pensions originally assessing her as eligible, she was still legally required to repay the money because she did not meet the criteria. Despite effectively working full-time hours in NHS settings and providing supervised unpaid patient care, she was considered a 'non-earner'.
Now undertaking a PhD while raising three children and relying on her husband's income and her stipend, Leem-Bruggen fears that childcare costs may make her PhD financially impossible when she returns from maternity leave after the birth of her third child. Under the current system, many families cannot access meaningful childcare support if one parent is undertaking postgraduate education rather than conventional paid employment.
The system increasingly makes higher education inaccessible to families without financial backing or relatives who can help. The message that many parents receive is clear: you can have children or you can pursue higher education, but trying to do both is only realistic if you already have money behind you.
Leem-Bruggen's story highlights the need for reform in childcare support policies to ensure that parents pursuing higher education are not penalized for their commitment to both family and academic advancement.
