UCAS utterly unfair

[Iwasneveragoddess]

My third child is filling out his UCAS form and as happened with his sister he has to put the highest earner in the household on the form, which will affect his loan, this isn’t me it’s my DH who is not father to any of my children.

He is still paying maintenance for his own children and is not financially responsible for mine, how on earth is this fair?

I think it’s really odd this absolute expectation that my OH would be prepared to fund my son through Uni

I think it's really odd to be married to someone who wouldn't consider helping his stepson to go to uni.

Really?! This board is full of feckless Biological fathers who pay jack shit towards their own children - yet pearl clutching over my reluctance to ask my OH if we can fund my child, who ISN’T HIS FATHER

We can’t afford to anyway as I have said 5000 times.

I think it's really odd that parents, biological or step, pay for their grown adults to study whilst not expecting them to work whilst doing so, show some self reliance and gumption, and earn the money to immediately reduce their loans, and in some cases pay small fortunes for them to live in self contained flats and luxury student housing, then moan about them leaving with large debts and unable to cope with any challenge that life throws at them and enter the workplace clueless, experienceless and useless.

@Devereux1

I agree.

Does his Dad have a lower household income. He can out down that his Dad financially supports him, they dont care if he lives with his Dad, and then it will go by bio Dad's household income.

*put down.

To add - I haven't read the thread, so not sure if this advice has been given. I just wish someone would have advised me to do the same before my final year, when I realised it is a totally legal option. Also YANBU, UCAS is awful and only works for 'traditional' families.

So your OH is feckless?

Oh well, sort it out how you wish. Poor kid. 190 a month isn't going to get him very far.

Probably about as far as your kids will Trewser being handed everything on a plate.

@Devereux1
Renting rooms in shared households or in halls, like most students did for decades, don't cost £8000. Where are you getting this figure from?
My son’s allocated accommodation in university halls in 2016 was £7,200 for the year (he was at second choice university so didn’t get to choose accommodation).

I have personally met all of Trewser's kids and can confirm that being provided with sufficient food and shelter is fucking ruining them to the point that they are actually incapable of lifting a finger.

I think he would be worse off if he was undertaking an NHS based course. Used to be all bursary but that changed a few years ago. (Now they do over 50% placement and have to pay back the maintenance loan for the privilege!) (Although bursary is slowly coming back - less than what it is originally).

I think you can afford it if you tried. Plenty do.

Eh? UCAS doesn’t ask anything about earnings!

Sorry but it’s absolutely ridiculous to accuse me of being a shite neglectful parent to not support an adult child through Uni, Trewser is ridiculous.

He'd also be worse off if he was a zebra on a big game hunt but what can you do, eh?

As a social worker, surely you realise there is limited funding, even for the loans given that - as it stands - much of it is not paid back. I’m on the fence as to whether it’s unfair to include a step parent or not. On one hand, you chose to legally intertwine yourselves and thus, reduce any eligibility for various things such as; tax credits when they’re smaller and the student loan. The number of children is not entirely relevant because his income is not included in the assessment for his biological children. On the other hand, I do see your point and accept your frustration. It’s unfortunate his own father is not able to support him more.

Just on another note why is your DS filling in his UCAS form so late? My son sent his off months ago and he is not doing Oxbridge.

His step dad couldn't afford a pen until now. He's in the army you know.

He’s not in the army

I had the issue that my dad earned a lot but I had worked full time for two years and could not rely on his support. I rang them and at the time (10 years ago) they said that if he was not financially responsible for me then they would disregard his earnings and I got a full grant. I still lived at home. Phone them and ask.

What even is this thread. This has nothing to do with UCAS whatsoever and is just spreading false information. UCAS has a section in the application form where it asks for highest household earners income and job occupation which is used for their own research and marketing. This has no effect on the application outcome whatsoever and only ucas can see this information. Your maintenance loan won't be affected by this data and ucas has nothing to do with loans whatsoever.
When you apply for your maintenance loan later next year, the amount will be calculated by how much household income you receive, if you're living at home or on campus and whether it's in or outside london. this has nothing to do with marriage status. No one cares what your views on families are or who you think should pay for what, household income is household income. UCAS has nothing to do with loans and the way these loans are calculated is by no means unfair.
This is coming from a student and not from an entitled mother who thinks everything about life is unfair

We established several pages ago that this is nothing to do with UCAS

And the highest earners wage is the wage the loan is calculated on.

When you grow up you will realise I am not an “entitled” mother.

How my finances are run within my marriage are irrelevant.

Laughable! This entire thread is about how you are sensitive about your 2nd / 3rd husband paying towards his step son's education!

As a social worker, who trained when you already had children, how did you fund your own degree- if you have one?

Many parents start to put something away for uni fees right from the time their child is born. As you are at the sharp end of family life in your job, you must know how parents fund or don't fund HE.

Your DH is clearly in the Navy or RAF. He will be well paid with various allowances. Between you, as you have said, you have over £60K pa.
Somehow there should be something spare towards your son's education.

He is, as others have said, pretty late in his application. Deadline is end of Jan but many offers are on a first come first served basis - is he applying for a popular course at a good uni? He needs to get a move on :)

Probably about as far as your kids will Trewser being handed everything on a plate

Yes, having parents who make up their minimum loan to the maximum loan (as is recommended) has made my kids useless lumps, only capable of gesturing for the remote control as I cut their food up for them.

FYI they took a gap year, worked and saved, we have stopped saving or taking holidays for the next few years. Dd is loving uni, doing brilliantly, picking up the odd shift in a cafe in the holidays and will work in the summer holidays. I'm really proud of her, and so is her dad.

He’ll be fine. He is predicted all As.