Regarding Rebecca Gray's agony aunt column in The Argus last Friday, I thought I would write with information which might help the person who wanted to do a course at college but had child-minding problems.

Regarding the financial situation, there is a government policy called Care to Learn which can help with childminding fees for full-time students.

I am the welfare officer at Varndean College in Brighton and a number of our students receive all or part of such funding.

For under-19 parents the scheme will pay up to £5,000 a year and for those parents aged over 19 this reduces to £4,000. Help is given on a sliding scale depending on income but will help people with an income of less than £30,000.

-Linda Bailey, welfare officer, Varndean College, Brighton