Maintenance Loan

[Olympicfan]

DC wants to study in London and live at home. However, it will be an hour's commute each way. A relative has offered DC a room in their house (they live closer to the station and only a 45 minute commute). If they live at relative's house during term time (weekdays) and lived at home at weekends and in the holidays, would they be classed as 'Studying in London and living at home' or 'Studying in London and not living at home'?

[KittyMarmalade]

Well, they're spending 4-5 nights a week at the relatives and 2-3 at home, so I'd say "not at home", but I can't be sure. It's not a big difference in the commute time though.

[Olympicfan]

But it is 2.5k difference in maintenance loan (£3,300 as opposed to £5,800). Their train fare will be approx £1700/£2000 per year.

[Decorhate]

I wonder how the Student Loan Company would actually know either way. If you live close to your uni, do they ask for proof you are living away from home? Hopefully someone London based will have the answer.

[Trewser]

I thought the minimum maintenance loan was 4.1k?

[okiedokieme]

You need to check current rules, it used to be that if you attended a university within 20 miles of you home you were classified as living at home even if you didn't

[okiedokieme]

@trewser

Living at home is lower

[CatToddlerUprising]

Would your DC be eligible for the 18+ TfL card? That will help with commuting costs

[zzzzzzzx]

I can't see how that would ever be classed as living at home.

[Trewser]

Aha! Of course thank you.

[Trewser]

It wouldn't be classed as living at home because he won't be living at home!

[MarchingFrogs]

It wouldn't be classed as living at home because he won't be living at home!
However, as has been mentioned on various internet forums recently, SLC do check up on those claiming the 'living elsewhere' rate, whose home address is close to the university at which they are studying, with those unable to provide proof having their loan reduced to the living at home rate. e.g. no proof of rent actually being paid to a third party.

What kind of distance is actually under consideration here? Length of commute in terms of time is not necessarily commensurate with distance - e.g. high speed route from out in Kent into St Pancras International plus a five minute walk to Central St Martin's quicker than slow line into Paddington from somewhere geographically closer plus tube to KCL etc

[strawberrieshortcake]

@HugoSpritz thousands students live London all the time and manage just fine. Teenagers who live in a London and do their GCSE and A Levels seem to be able to get their exams on time so I don’t see why a university student wouldn’t.

[muddypuddles12]

@Olympicfan I would class this as living away from home for student loan purposes. I lived away from home but my parents paid my rent, but I still received a maintenance loan - they don't specify that this must be spent on rent. I chose to take the maintenance loan and use that to pay my living expenses, i still have to pay it back regardless of what it was spent on. If your DC wishes to take the student maintenance loan out then that's their decision, but they are "living away from home" and essentially "visiting" when they come home at weekends.

[Olympicfan]

Home to university distance is 38 miles in this instant. The course is a humanities one so might only be about 6-8hrs contact hours a week.

[midgebabe]

It's a loan. With interest charged. Surely you want to take as little out as possible?

[strawberrieshortcake]

@HugoSpritz the op only specified a 45 minute commute so I’m unsure why you assumed that it was a commute into London and then extra travel after that.

[Mustbetimeforachange]

It's a loan. With interest charged. Surely you want to take as little out as possible?
Repayments per month are the same whether you borrow £10000 or £100000. It's a graduate tax really, rather than a loan.

[Olympicfan]

To Clarify: Home: 20 mins to the station, 25 minutes overland train, 8 mins tube, 7 mins walk: University

[Olympicfan]

Relative's home: 10 minutes to station, 20 minute overland train, 8 minutes tube, 7 minutes walk: University

[bpisok]

Your DC is going to move in with relative for the sake of 15 mins travel each way (which may be more or may be less subject to train arrival, tube connection etc - hey, if Thameslink it could be literally anything).
If my DD proposed that I would think it mightily odd.

[Olympicfan]

I think saving half an hour on the journey appeals, but the extra £2,500 appeals more. If they commute from home they would have £1,300 after travel costs a year, if they stay at the relative's they will have £4,100 after travel costs. They will have to factor in food to the latter.

We just wanted to know if moving in with a relative is classified as 'Studying but living at home' or not especially as the addresses are only about 5 miles apart.

[Wolfff]

We live in central London. DD2 studies in what's basically a London suburb but it too long to commute. She has a room in a student flat (halls last year) and was picked up for a check this year.

She had to show a copy of her tenancy agreement and also proof that rent money was leaving her bank account. She also showed her council tax exemption. They wanted her to prove is that she was living where she said she was.