To think DD's Dad should help if he can?

Just another way men are let off the hook. I've no doubt that my own DD's dad will find himself unable to "help" when the time comes.
It's good that he wants to continue contributing but to think he's paid £150 a month all these years is disgusting.

Parental contribution from the non resident parent is irrelevant
Maintenance loans are assessed on resident parent income only

I have a son in uni. It's calculated on the RESIDENTS parent's income. So the people the student lives with. My sons fathers income was totally irrelevant to his student loan.

If a parent does not contribute it's calculated on resident parents income, so child will be eligible for higher maintenance loan. If both parents contribute ( doing the right thing) then maintenance loan is lower.

I can't speak for the OP, but XH didn't want to be educated 7 years before it was relevant to him as to how different uni funding is these days compared to when we went.

It was a discussion I was going to have with him when children went to college and uni may have been in their future.

Things ended before that happened.

And he has moved on from his daughter, so why would he initiate the conversation? I've told her it's on her to start the conversation with her dad.

It makes me so cross that 18yr olds are considered adults in every way, but their uni loan amount is based on their parents income.

And the parent can choose to top it up, they don't have to. In these times, many parents have nothing to spare in the budget.

Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.

It's difficult to answer without knowing your exhb circumstances. How well off are they? Does ex still give money to other dd? Some parents either can't afford to help 18 year old children, or think they're old enough to earn their own way.

Heartbreaking. How lucky was I to have my own dad help and be proud and interested and supportive and critical and a pita and a rock (still is) rather than cut the strings the moment I turned 18. It's not about the money.

Throughout our 20 yr marriage X was adamant our children would need to pay their own way at uni like we did. he's been pretty clear and I'm surprised he hasn't made it clear to DD by now too. That's where this all falls down. If a parent doesn't want to contribute or cannot contribute then this needs to be a discussion from an early age during secondary school

Go through CMS and get the correct amount. He will then have to continue paying till she's 21 if she goes to uni.

It’s not too late to apply through the CMS now, she’s still at school. Do you know what his job is and roughly what he earns?

OP the dad is being an arse if he can afford it and decides not to on the whim of his new wife.

Oh, of course he should be contributing! I can't believe this "she shouldn't have been listening" "it's up to him" bullshit!

So he gets to underpay child maintenance ‘because he wants to’?

Is that maintenance based on income? If it is he must only earn around £15k a year. I’m not sure I’d expect a parent earning £15k to contribute to my university fees.

If he earns more than that he’s already unreasonable as he should be paying more now

She should get support from any parent with income over the limit. Including him.

My view is that she overheard the first conversation they've had about this, so it'll likely evolve to something between the two positions. It's a shame she overheard but she should be expecting to work 16 hours at university and anything a parent gives is a bonus.

Why is he suddenly not able to contribute what he always has? It is his responsibility as parents are expected to contribute if the student doesn't get a full loan.

So if you are on a low income so student gets full loan it's because you are feckless? How the hell do you come to that conclusion?

I think he should continue to pay her. She is his daughter and parents usually support their children. They don't suddenly stop being your children just because they are 18.
And to those who say she shouldn't have been listening to what they were saying sometimes people can't help but over hear conversations. It's hardly her fault if they were talking within her earshot.
I can understand why your daughter is upset and I can see why it might affect her relationship with her father's wife.

You need to check the maintenance loan eligiblity criteria. If ex never contributes you can leave him off the form and loan amount gets calculated on your income only. However if his income is included it will likely reduce the maintenance loan and that could change from her managing ok to having to work a huge amount just to pay the rent. I don't know what happens if ex pays maintenance but stops as child starts uni. It must be quite common though. Alternatively if you yourself have a good income the maintenance loan might already be small and it might be vital for her that he contributes.

It is the most stupid system as it rewards feckless parents and makes hardworking parents struggle and their children struggle in the uni years- although in the long term children of feckless parents have more loan to pay back. Everyone loses.

If you say don't go to uni then you miss out on a formative experience and important social networks for the country in future.

We are still supporting ours in mid 20's!

My exh gives me £600 a month to pay for DDs allowance and also the cost of maintaining a home for her, driving her to and from university etc. He realises that parenting doesn't end at 28 even if you have split up!

Same issue here.

DD off to uni in Sept. I've told DD for the last year if she's old enough to go to uni, she's old enough to talk finance with her dad.

I'd be really happy if the £300 he gives me each month for her goes straight to her at uni.

However, he's recently got engaged and is looking to move to USA to be with his new women and her 7 yr old. Throughout our 20 yr marriage X was adamant our children would need to pay their own way at uni like we did.

It's on DD to try to explain to her dad the finance system is far less generous than in our day and to talk to him. She hasn't yet... She only sees him for a couple of hours every few months.

I don't think he'll give her the cash. He'll see me as earning more than him and expect me to stump up the shortfall, while he saves for his move.

I know DD will take it all in. I'm happy with my relationship with my daughter. I would hate the piecemeal she's given him for years... But that's what he brought on himself. What I have with DD is priceless.

As long as his daughter is in education, he should be paying towards her care. There’s no financial difference for her between being in education at 15 and being in education at 18. She needs to speak with her dad.

The wife is being unreasonable
It's unreasonable for anyone to think financial support for a child automatically end at 18