To think £60 a week to live on will be a struggle for DD at uni?

I was/am in a similar position with my dds (2 of whom have now graduated). They worked all summer and in holidays to save so they had enough money. This included the summer after A levels. My arrangement with my ex H was that he would provide them with a regular allowance but he decided not to do that. They do get some money from him, from me and from their grandmother but it's ad hoc.

I can't give them enough to live on but instead pay for their phones, buy them clothing and fund regular grocery deliveries.

It's doable if she sticks to cheap foods and eating at home (uni accommodation). Clothes could be Christmas and birthday presents. Course materials aren't always needed depending in the course. I didn't buy anything, I just used the library and the laptop I already had. If she is in a friend group with others on a low budget they will find fun on the cheap. There may not be a need for much travel money if the uni is central. A low budget will make her more motivated for work too which will stand her in good stead for when she finishes uni.

Jobs can be very variable. My DS went to uni in London and did manage to get a job over the summer and at weekends but in uni cities that have a big uni and a small city if you know what I mean there are thousands chasing a few part time jobs.

friends of his did online tutoring to earn money.

i wouldn’t try to get her to live at home in year 1 to save money. Halls in year 1 are usually the cheapest year - private student rents when you have to pay bills etc are more expensive.

might incentivise her to get a job/save money.

Agree with a previous poster who suggested getting a job in a chain now and then transferring. It doesn't need to be anything onerous - she could try a cinema chain for example.

Another option is for her to defer for a year and work and save up a decent savings cushion. It also helps with maturity and life experience

So did I but that was 20 years ago! Times have changed!

Can she work over the summer? That way she not only gets some savings built up, she also gets some work experience that will make her more employable

Yeah that will be tight. It's survivable but she wouldn't have any social life.

I think she needs a job.

Cost of laundrettes varies enormously. Ours was VERY cheap and must have been subsidised.

In many cases it is the cost of drying clothes as the tumble dryers only run for a short time and many halls won't allow the students to use airers in their rooms.

Back when companies weren't shedding employees in the wake of minimum wage hikes, ni increases and in advance of an employees rights bill that makes ad-hoc student staff a risky investment.

I gave DS £80 per week. He came back with savings in the bank. He doesn’t drink.

I think it is doable if they’re not spending it all on socialising.

It's still going to be very tight.
She can't live on pot noodles or pasta as someone else suggested.

She will need to buy fruit, veg, dairy, as well as meat, beans, eggs, bread, rice, pasta etc.

One tip is to go shopping at the end of the day or weekends when prices are 'yellow stickered'.

Life is about making choices and then living with them. If she is on a tight budget, that will motivate her to find a job real fast. I personally trust in the flow, and adulting. Let her make her own decisions and live with them. She may surprise you. I was never without a job at her age.

Get her to start a budget now. Start with her writing down everything she buys and if you eat as a family then cost that too.

It might be an idea to get her cooking for herself now so she can see how much she needs.

What work do you do in higher ed? Admin? Lecturer?

Many students are not skint because they have wealthy parents who fund a lot of their expenses. Most parents do have to contribute something.

Most families I know started budgeting for uni when their kids were younger, or made their kids get weekend jobs/babysitting/ pet sitting etc as soon as they could, to build up some savings for uni.

Honestly, I don't think you can tell if this will be enough or not.

There's a lot of variety in what different Uni's/halls include (I've been to three different unis). My first year halls it wouldnt have been enough. The expectation was that you would mostly eat in the canteen.the shared kitchen was listed as "snack preparation only" because it wasn't up to modern fire regs. So between 12 of us there was a kettle, a toaster and a small microwave. There was no freezer, and only a small fridge. Food cupboards were small and communal - 4 cupboards between 12 of us. Bulk buying/batch prepping was just not possible.

However other places have full kitchens with freezers and lots of cupboard space.

Cost of laundrettes varies enormously. Ours was VERY cheap and must have been subsidised.

A lot of it will depend on how she wants to socialise, or if she has hobbies that cost money.

She'll need to get a job. There will be options on campus, she should start investigating now as these kind of jobs are highly sought after.

Ok , I remember back to when I was a student and had very little to live off .
I worked in the holidays to top it up but then it was still tight plus my parents actually asked me for £ towards their bills in the holidays 😳
My parents didn’t fund me at all , not even a few pounds here and there to help with train travel home or getting me a few clothes to top up my wardrobe.
So , if you send your daughter off to uni with plenty of clothes, shoes , toiletries , a starter pack of food especially non perishables , and have a savings account for her with a decent amount in it then she has a good start .
Depending on the city she’s in she will find it easy to pick up part time / weekend work to fund a few extras .
£60 should cover food ok if she is careful but wouldn’t cover eating out.
She will need to learn budgeting carefully but that’s a good skill

She could pick up some seasonal work this Christmas to save some cash and get a reference. Bar/ hospitality work and she can do her school work in the day time.

Sounds too tight. I think DD should be applying for PT/weekend jobs in the city she will studying in now. I would have thought £60 isn’t going to work, what about haircuts, clothes, the odd meal/drinks out? Can you afford to send her a £30 internet shop of basics each week? Pasta, rice, baking potatoes, veg, baked beans, tinned toms, garlic, butter? Enough to make some super simple meals? Even then she still needs a job immediately.

You sound like such a lovely mum but honestly she need to figure things out for herself. Please try not to be overprotective - she will manage and everyone will be skint too . I say this as someone who works in higher education.

My son works over the summer to top up his loan. We put it all in to one account with loan and our contribution. He then gets £100 a week.

In 2025 these jobs aren't as easy to find. Quite often the jobs that are available might not fit in with contact hours, depending on the course.

All these "when I was a student" posts are not relevant or helpful unless you are a student now because things have changed so much.

What subject is she doing? I did a design subject and would regularly spend 100-200 a month just on materials, supplies and printing. 20 years ago!

It's not really enough. It's enough for food but not many other expenses. When my son was at uni a couple of years go, it cost £4 for a load of washing. Travel costs would depend on where the uni is. She'd ideally want to have enough to go out, as it's a way to make friends. Can she get a Christmas temp job now and save the money? They are just starting to pop up in supermarkets and usually last until end of Jan.