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?

"And by the way, fixed outgoings like a mortgage are taken into account when they award the loan."
No they dont. They ask for earnings, not outgoings.

He should be able to borrow the money for his living costs like anyone else whose parent earns 30k.

My DH (not my children's father) and I have had to separate for 5 years ... to allow my 3 children to allow MY three children to go to university . If we hadn't they couldn't have gone . HOW IS THIS FUCKING FAIR ???

My children's father lives overseas. I cannot get CM from him. DH isnMY husband not their father. He pays TWICE the CM required but even if he didn't we couldn't afford it. Rent is £1300. cM 2k (ex doesn't work .. don't get me started ..) between us we earn £4.5k so not exactly poor.. yet we live on &1200 a month with £500 travel .

There is NO money left for Uni contributions.

The system is FUCKED

Sorry OP I'm completely confused about what the issue is.

Yes its expensive, yes it doesn't seem fair that its means tested, but how many dcs do you need to put through uni?

If you have your own income of £30K and your DH earns more, then that must put your joint income over £60K.

Sorry but that's a decent income . You mean you won't pay.

Maybe your DH has other outgoings for his other children, That was his choice I assume to marry you and take on another family with its costs.

so you have choices

1 Your child works during their course or defers their course and works & saves

2 You contact their father - and they do too- and ask for support (not sure why this is not forthcoming.)

3 They go to uni locally.

4 You start cut back on your outgoings to get together about £500 (very rough guide) a month which your child supplements with work.

6 You deny your child university as not willing to do any of above.

If you have your own income of £30K and your DH earns more, then that must put your joint income over £60K.Sorry but that's a decent income . You mean you won't pay

This, sorry.

It’s only a decent outcome with low out goings ...

You are being silly OP.

You have a husband. Your joint income is well above the mean of £29K.

Your own circumstances such as maintenance to other children and a mortgage are taken into account when your child gets a loan.

It's no good just bleating on about it being unfair.

There are ways round it, you just won't accept them.

I totally agree it’s very unfair. I’m in a similar boat. It really sucks and some students get unfairly disadvantaged because the higher earning non-parent on whose salary the means test is done refuses to support their partner’s child. I’m very lucky that my DP does agree to contribute.

Yes, well you control your outgoings, no one else.

Your own circumstances such as maintenance to other children and a mortgage are taken into account when your child gets a loaN

No they are not.

Again, no we can not afford it and it’s the principle I totally disagree with.

Don’t worry ,honestly op..it goes on household income ,so the fact you don’t have a huge household income means he will get the full loan.its all done fairly on a sliding scale so families with more income the child gets less loan...and the parents make up the difference..it will all get sorted out when he applies.we are all in the same boat .
It’s the same with uc ,you don’t carry on getting money for being a single parent when u live with a man .he then takes on responsibility for the children of the house .same with the loan for uni .

For estrangement, the student has to demonstrate that they have no contact with their parents and get two signatories to it. You can’t just declare it.

You have a household income of more than twice the national average. You may not feel wealthy but, comparatively, you're very wealthy indeed.
Sorry OP, but I don't think you have a case here.

Sorry Patti, I’m not sure what you are saying.

Are you saying you have £700 a month from which to pay for gas, electricity and food?

Don’t worry ,honestly op..it goes on household income ,so the fact you don’t have a huge household income means he will get the full loan

Her household income is above 60k
Her dc will get fees paid and 4.1k a year towards accommodation.

Ladies 60 isn't that much a year for a household income

What if her other children need full time child care
That's 12k a year at least

I'm not surprised they can't afford 9 grand plus another I guess 6 grand a year living costs

Stop being so rude!

Have you actually seen the application form for loans?
Or are you still talking about the UCAS form which is not the same thing?

You are talking as if you have yet unless things have changed radically since my 2 DCs were at uni, you have to include your net income after mortgage etc.

I don't think you know what you are talking about.

It's a loan, but better you see it as a tax. They pay a small percentage of the amount of the loan for 30 years if they havent paid it off in 30 years, it is scrapped and you dont have to pay the rest. You dont have to pay back the exact amount you borrowed. I dont understand why you say you cant afford it, the loan us in the name of the person going to uni, not you. If your earnings are low, they get more.

I'm not surprised they can't afford 9 grand

For the love of God...!

They don't pay £9K. This is a loan which the student pays on graduation - as a monthly deduction- once they own over £25K pa. It does not involve the parents at all.

Yes my daughter did it two years ago, she was only entitled to borrow 4K or whatever for her living costs after her loan for fees.

I understand your situation OP but situations like this are ‘the cracks’ in the system.
Generic stipulations that apply to 95% but penalise the 5%.

In reverse, men who live with/marry women with several children end up with significantly reduced maintenance payments for their own children - which is equally unfair.

The ‘system’ doesn’t identify well between biological parents and household residents but to alter it would likely cost the gov much more - so they just accept that it won’t be fair for all.

I have a similar gripe with UC/CB/Funded hours. On paper DH is a high earner so we qualify for nothing - but DH actually receives 55% of his salary after all the mandatory deductions.... so we should get CB and other support.

"you have to include your net income after mortgage etc."
I dont think it works like that anymore? As otherwise people could pay lots more into their mortgage for the time their kids are at uni so as it looks like you have less.

I am not talking about not being able to afford the loan - I am aware of how that works.

I can not afford to support my son through Uni if he can only borrow 4K a year for his living costs.

Its shit but its the way it is. I'm in university and there are many who don't get the full finance due to parental income but whose parents can't afford to top up. They either waited to go to uni or have jobs. I have a job too. You just have to make it work. My course isn't easy and I have a very full timetable. The young people on my course managed to work, party and study in year one but now its just work and study.