How much will uni cost parents?

[Kosmik]

What is the average contribution a parent is expected to pay towards H.E. student upkeep?

YABU.

Any advice? Student finance has kept me awake for the past week!

It's as much as you can afford and/or are prepared to spend. Students from low income families get extra help on the tuition fees. The rest will fall somewhere between borrowing the entire cost with student loans and paying it off when they start working, paying their way through college with holiday/evening jobs or parents financing the entire thing start to finish. It's always been that way really.

You know, I still find it incredibly bizarre that in order to get student finance I had to provide all my parents' financial details and have it assumed that they would provide some financial assistance. I was 20 when applying and had been financially independent (and somewhat estranged from them) for three years.

Assuming you have a better relationship with your kids just give as much as you can reasonably afford.

It won't cost me anything because I won't have any cash to spare when my kids go.

They will have to be entirely self-funding.

Mine will too if they go. (self-funding) If that makes you feel better. Give what you can, it's all you can do.

If you were financially independent for three years then you should have applied as an independent student - they just don't advertise that fact. I have to apply to be considered independent when I applied for funding at 24 - 25 and you are automatically independent even if you live at home. The whole system is crazy.

Parents are not expected to pay anything.

DD is in Y10 so will be hit hard when she goes to uni and will probably be paying back her loans for the next 30 years.

My contribution will be a 3 year supply of Pot Noodles

The letter our DC gets each year states clearly the amount of loan for tuition fees, and maintenance. It also states how much means tested ( based on DH and my income) loan DC has been awarded as well as the amount of grant (non repayable, also means tested on our income) that has been awarded. There is also a box that says how much, if anything, we are expected to pay towards the maintenance. So far, Dc has been entitled to pretty much the maximum on every section and 'our' box has always stated that we do not have to make a contribution. I imagine therefore, that if Student Finance assess your income to be such that a contribution is required, it will say in the relevant box on the award letter.

Despite not being 'officially' required to contribute, the reality is somewhat different. the cost of rent, food, books etc soon adds up and we help out where we can. Some universities are not keen on their students taking part time work as they feel it can interfere with the studies. Others, find the workload is such that there is very little time available for outside work. DC is at university, either in lectures or the laboratories virtually 9-5 all week and then has to do private study as well. Plus, of course, there are very few jobs available at the moment.

we pay accommodation as do a lot of our friends
dc pay keep and fees

My husband (her stepdad) and I earn just a bit too much for her to be eligible for the maintenance grant.

However, her father ( who she has never lived with since the age of two) I believe is now unemployed or on a very low income as the CSA have assessed him to pay just £5 per week maintenance for her.

Would it be feasible in such a situation for my daughter to 'flip' parents in order to be eligible for the grant?

I don't know whether that would work.Not sure what, if any, checks they make.

"If you were financially independent for three years then you should have applied as an independent student - they just don't advertise that fact."

I did, and the ensuing mess left me without my finance for nearly six months. I couldn't prove 'irrevocable estrangement' from them, you see. Every person I spoke to at Student Finance Direct told me something different.

I was, and still am, living with a partner, in our own house, jointly contributing to our household. Only if we'd been married would I have been considered independent and his income taken into account.

Instead the income of my (mostly) estranged mother who had left to start a new family was taken into account - including the income of her new partner, as they were living together, a complete stranger who clearly had no financial obligation to me!

The entire system is bonkers. I'm not bitter at all, no no...

I don't know what we will do.

I think having to support ourselves totally throughout university was very good for DH and I, we are very resourceful and independant.

We got student loans to pay for the actual fees then both worked a couple of jobs each to pay for living costs. It was fine, when you are 21 you can burn the candle at both ends no worries.

However we got married very early and pooled resources so that certainly helped.

The only support we got from parents was the occassional meal and access to their washing machines. Neither of us qualified for government help because of our family incomes.

I wouldn't see my kids go hungry but I have no intention of smoothing the way for them too much either, as I don't think that does them any favours in the long term.

Whatever you can but for what its worth IME the maintenance loans are pitiful.
Depending on the university sometimes you can't even cover the rent with the loan so have to live in your overdraft if you want to eat.
I'm not sure if you can "flip" parents but its certainly worth looking in to!

Think about deferring place for a year. Get as many jobs as possible and save save save, and also consider if you really want/ need to go or wheyer entry level ladder job will enable you to work way up in chosen industry
faced with currnt costs I wouldn't go but could still grt temp jobs in 'right' offices, which is where we then nearly always offer the perm positions even though they be grad level if advertises if you see what I mean
being harsh - make sure you're doing a decent course at a decent uni too
good luck