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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think that £500 a month is enough for a child at uni

555 replies

FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 20:39

we will pay his accommodation and his tuition fees will be paid, so this will just be for food and travel etc

OP posts:
Original poster
FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 22:06

Yesnosorryplease · 04/02/2024 21:57

Are those halls catered?!

not catered

OP posts:
Original poster
FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 22:03

Floopani · 04/02/2024 21:52

I'll be giving our two what we can, but I'm also aware that I had nothing from my parents except the odd food shop or lunch out if they visited. £500 a month seems incredibly generous, but if you can easily afford it then lucky them!

and yes, we can afford it. We aren't minted but are reasonably comfortable.

My main aim is for DS1 to enjoy his uni experience. Not have to live in shitty housing and just about cope. That would destroy his mental health.

I want him to feel he is at home, without actually being at home.

My 2 sisters went to uni in the 70's and both came back after the first year with clinical depression. I think my parents just let them get on with it.

I don't want that for my boy. I can and will support him. So thanks all who said our budget was about right.

We are in Jersey, so home is a train ride and a flight, not quick. He needs to know we are there for him.

Have another boy to do this for in 4 years, so want to get it right first time round!

OP posts:
Testina · 04/02/2024 22:03

FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 21:55

He will be in Brighton. That is the cost of the private halls

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It’s more the cost of studios within private halls - plenty of rooms available cheaper (though still not cheap!).

£500 is easily enough. It’s more than needed - but if you have it and want to give it, that’s your call. But he definitely doesn’t need more.

laclochette · 04/02/2024 22:02

Depends where they are at uni - London much more expensive obviously. And depends if they get any kind of maintenance loan. I got £600 a month when I was at uni back in the early 2000s and it was ample, and meant I didn't need to take out any loans. I got a part time job and put that money into savings towards a house deposit! A lot depends on how good you think your child will be with money. If you think they'll fritter it away, give them a bit less and keep some back towards helping them buy a house etc.

MCOut · 04/02/2024 21:58

I’m assuming he doesn’t have maintenance. It depends. Where is his Uni? Which course is he doing? Some courses are heavier than others and students won’t have time for part-time work. Does he have any expensive hobbies? Is he in bills included accommodation (I’m assuming so)? I’m inclined to say most likely yes, but it does depend on a few things.

Yesnosorryplease · 04/02/2024 21:57

Are those halls catered?!

Original poster
FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 21:55

cloudtree · 04/02/2024 21:08

If accommodation is £17k then he’s clearly not studying in England so these responses probably aren’t the most relevant.

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He will be in Brighton. That is the cost of the private halls

OP posts:
Testina · 04/02/2024 21:54

£17K for accommodation? 😮‍💨

KeepGoing2 · 04/02/2024 21:53

I’m planning to give about this much and think it’s pretty generous.

Floopani · 04/02/2024 21:52

I'll be giving our two what we can, but I'm also aware that I had nothing from my parents except the odd food shop or lunch out if they visited. £500 a month seems incredibly generous, but if you can easily afford it then lucky them!

Original poster
FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 21:51

cakeorwine · 04/02/2024 20:49

But does that include a loan?

I am guessing the OP's son does not get a maintenance loan - so instead they give £500 a month AND pay for accommodation?

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exactly this

OP posts:
ChocoChocoLatte · 04/02/2024 21:51

@eduwot Thank you. We're incredibly proud of her and her work ethic. Her siblings will have to do the same if they choose further education as their path too.

FilthyforFirth · 04/02/2024 21:41

Wow wish you were my parents! I paid my own accomodation and didnt recieve any monthly amounts. They took me food shopping when they visited, that was it!

I'll certainly be helping my two a lot more but £500 on top of rent seems excessive.

caringcarer · 04/02/2024 21:37

cloudtree · 04/02/2024 20:45

That’s how much we give DS1. He’s at a cheaper northern university and his flat mates are all on about the same. It works out roughly the same as if he was on maximum maintenance loan.

Yes my nephew gets this too. He got a summer job and saved before he went. A lot of his savings went on books which cost hundreds at the beginning of the year. Also photocopying cost him a lot he says because some books are not allowed to leave the library.

Missingpate · 04/02/2024 21:35

Can I ask, when people are saying fees are covered, what do they mean? Covered by who? Uni is a few years away still for us but trying to get clearer on what’s normal

Shinyandnew1 · 04/02/2024 21:30

FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 21:04

To clarify some of the questions, we are in Jersey so can’t get the student loan. We have to pay full maintenance. His accommodation is likely to be 17k a year in private halls, so was hoping 5k would see to the rest of it. Anything else he has to work for

£17k for 30 weeks-crikey!

jamimmi · 04/02/2024 21:16

Ds in 3rd year. Get £250 month for food and everything else. He get a loan that just covers his accomodation. He's in Liverpool so not too bad cost wise. £500 sounds alot,

Seeline · 04/02/2024 21:16

The employment market has changed considerably over the last few years. Part time jobs are much harder to come by for students.

17k for accommodation is a huge amount. Where is he based?

notmyrealuserna · 04/02/2024 21:10

eduwot · 04/02/2024 20:48

Mine gets £200. I wish I hadn't read this. Makes me feel bad!

Mine gets £200 too. Plus maintenance loan. She works at McDonald's to top up.

Yesnosorryplease · 04/02/2024 21:10

We've got 2 who will head to uni in the next few years. It terrifies me how much we are going to have to find each month.

I find it odd that people don't always expect their DC to work though. I did a course that had much shorter uni holidays than the norm, work based shift placements etc and still worked the whole way through to support myself. As did most of my friends and peers. I managed to keep a car that I funded myself (it was a very old heap) and finished with v little debt though. Our accomodation was so cheap compared to what it is nowadays though, and we could opt to stay in it after 1st year too, which saved me loads.

BobbyBiscuits · 04/02/2024 21:09

It does depend on where, if it's in London it might not stretch that far, but then again if it's only really for food, drink, travel & socialising it's probably fine. It really depends more on what you personally can afford as well. Assuming he's able to get part time work it should be enough. I know many people who had less but this was years back.

mycatsanutter · 04/02/2024 21:08

Depends what they spend on nights out , if it's not enough they need to find a job . My dd spent £20-£25 a week on food never bothered with takeaways and had a great social life . She worked in a restaurant to find this .

cloudtree · 04/02/2024 21:08

FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 21:04

To clarify some of the questions, we are in Jersey so can’t get the student loan. We have to pay full maintenance. His accommodation is likely to be 17k a year in private halls, so was hoping 5k would see to the rest of it. Anything else he has to work for

If accommodation is £17k then he’s clearly not studying in England so these responses probably aren’t the most relevant.

Original poster
FunnysInLaJardin · 04/02/2024 21:07

TheChosenTwo · 04/02/2024 21:04

That’s what we send for dd. She’s in Bristol which is revoltingly expensive and she only gets the minimum maintenance loan which isn’t anywhere near enough to cover her accommodation so we pay towards that and send her £500 a month to live on. We pay for her phone and travel home when she comes back. Her car stays here as she doesn’t have any parking at her house but she doesn’t need transport to her uni and she’s only a 10 minute walk away. She’s in her second year and has a job when she comes home in the holidays which pays so well she could afford to go to Australia for 6 weeks last year and has already had a holiday this year - we could give her less but would rather she had enough to join in with stuff, she’s not got a massive group of friends and has had a bit of difficulty settling both years so don’t want her to miss out on potential outings because she doesn’t have enough money. She does go out a bit but not anywhere near as much as she does when she’s home!

Sounds very much like our situation

OP posts:
cloudtree · 04/02/2024 21:06

£500 a month is about £16 a day.

If a student is going to eat reasonably healthily and full engage in student life (societies, social life etc) then this really isn’t a fortune.