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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Partner wants to go to uni, worried about finances

78 replies

Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:22

My partner is 37 and has decided he would like to go to university and study social work. I’m really happy for him he’s been stuck in a care role for the longest time and has struggled with deciding what he wants to do.

I am just slightly concerned how we are actually going to live for the next 3 years while he doesn’t have an income.
It’s just me and him at home, and his daughter who’s 17 is going to move in during the summer and go to a college near us.

I work full time and earn £25,500. We have about £6000 of debt, and our monthly outgoing are about £1050, not including food or clearing the debt at all.
Im also not really sure how student finances work or what he would actually be entitled too, I am presuming tuition fees and a maintenance loan?

OP posts:
DontBiteTheCat · 18/12/2024 14:56

He might well be able to work around the course in year one, I am only on campus two days a week for example.

In years 2 and 3, he will be on placement for at least 3 months at a time on full time hours. Weekends may be a possibility but there is a lot of work, assignments etc that still need to be completed while on placement.

MyBirthdayMonth · 18/12/2024 14:54

If your partner wants your support with this proposal, he needs to come to you with a detailed plan for how he is going to pay for the course and for his own living costs, not to mention his daughter's. It's not reasonable to assume you will finance the entire household and I doubt that you could afford to do so.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 18/12/2024 14:53

Google 'step up to social work' ... Intensive 14 month course with bursary ... might be worth looking into.

WhyDoesDenisNotRhymeWithPenis · 18/12/2024 14:51

Could he potentially have a claim towards your property since he's been paying in to your mortgage?
Sounds like he brings nothing to the relationship except more and more debt and now making you house his kid as well.

TaupeOP · 18/12/2024 14:50

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Original poster
Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:48

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Nah, most the money went back on the sale didn’t really make any profit so we essentially have no savings. Think he made a couple grand at the time but nothing substantial. I’m 29, his daughter would be living with us for free, she doesn’t work and would be in higher education.

OP posts:
Lampzade · 18/12/2024 14:46

Op, what has he done with his share from the house?

TaupeOP · 18/12/2024 14:44

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TaupeOP · 18/12/2024 14:44

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Original poster
Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:43

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He pays towards my mortgage to help me out, so essentially we split everything 50/50. He had to sell his house after a relationship ended and they both owned the property together.
his daughter has been living with her mum but wants to come live with us when she starts college.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:40

Lampzade · 18/12/2024 14:39

He can still continue to work in care part time. He will not have daily lectures and care work can be very flexible

This is what I was thinking, I don’t know how demanding the course will be / what days/ hours he will be expected to be in, maybe he could get something bank to make a little money on the side.

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TaupeOP · 18/12/2024 14:40

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paranoidnamechanger · 18/12/2024 14:39

So I don’t see what the issue is now?

I do the same work as he does so I know there’s tons of work available when he starts his degree, therefore two incomes.

Personally I would do as many extra shifts as possible between now and September to clear that £6,000 debt, so you’ll have more disposable income.

Lampzade · 18/12/2024 14:39

He can still continue to work in care part time. He will not have daily lectures and care work can be very flexible

Original poster
Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:37

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It’s my home. I have a mortgage on the property myself, he lives with me and currently pays half the bills with me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:36

DontBiteTheCat · 18/12/2024 14:29

I’m currently at Uni doing the same thing.

Tuition fees per year are just over 9k, rising next year.

I get the maximum student loan amount because I’m a single parent, so just over £12k, paid in three instalments over the year. I get a small amount of UC top up and have to work around the course. Next year, when on placement, I’ll have to look for weekend work.

Your income will be taken into account when calculations are done. Does he work in social care currently? Would the apprenticeship scheme be an option through his employer if so?

He currently works as a support worker, so slightly different.
we did look for an apprenticeship but there doesn’t seem to be any in our area :(

OP posts:
TaupeOP · 18/12/2024 14:36

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Original poster
Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:35

WildFigs · 18/12/2024 14:28

Would he consider an apprenticeship? He'd end up with an equivalent qualification and be paid for doing it.

He’d love to, but unfortunately we’ve looked around and there doesn’t seem to be many apprenticeships in our area.

OP posts:
DontBiteTheCat · 18/12/2024 14:33

QuickDenimDeer · 18/12/2024 14:30

I think social workers essentially get paid to train, have a look at what he’ll ‘earn’ while studying. There’s a big drive for SW’s at the moment.

We don’t, unless it’s on the apprenticeship route.

We can get tuition fees loans and maintenance loans and have to pay them back like everyone else.

There is an NHS nursery of around 6k a year available in years one and two, but it’s not guaranteed that everyone will get it. Each uni are allocated a set amount of students, if there are more students than bursaries available then some will miss out.

QuickDenimDeer · 18/12/2024 14:30

I think social workers essentially get paid to train, have a look at what he’ll ‘earn’ while studying. There’s a big drive for SW’s at the moment.

WhyDoesDenisNotRhymeWithPenis · 18/12/2024 14:29

How does he plan to pay him and his daughter's share of all bills and household costs? He needs concrete, detailed plans on this, otherwise I'd be moving out.
He'll be adding tens and tens of thousands of pounds to the £6000 debt.

DontBiteTheCat · 18/12/2024 14:29

I’m currently at Uni doing the same thing.

Tuition fees per year are just over 9k, rising next year.

I get the maximum student loan amount because I’m a single parent, so just over £12k, paid in three instalments over the year. I get a small amount of UC top up and have to work around the course. Next year, when on placement, I’ll have to look for weekend work.

Your income will be taken into account when calculations are done. Does he work in social care currently? Would the apprenticeship scheme be an option through his employer if so?

Original poster
Bellfox95 · 18/12/2024 14:28

Start earning around £32,000 could increase to around 40k if he ends up in a good role by the seems of it.

OP posts:
paranoidnamechanger · 18/12/2024 14:28

He’ll get the maintenance loan, the amount depends on your household income. Think he’ll get the maximum as your household income is low.

He can do the odd bank care shift as well, so financially you’ll be fine.

WildFigs · 18/12/2024 14:28

Would he consider an apprenticeship? He'd end up with an equivalent qualification and be paid for doing it.