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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Affording Uni

528 replies

bustybetty · 30/09/2020 08:26

My daughter (year 13) is considering uni. We are a normal family with no parental help (handouts) hubby is on 50K and my work is about 20K, we live in a modest house and have three teens as well. My question is I have just looked at the maintenance loan she would be entitled to and it doesn't even cover the cost of the accommodation - how do people afford this? We don't have spare money and I coupon where I can, we don't have phone contracts or gym memberships. I don't understand how most people afford to send their children to uni. Currently I'm thinking she will have to take a year out to work to be able to afford it.

ideas anyone?

OP posts:
youdidask · 30/09/2020 08:29

Student loans, part time work for the kids in question

contrmary · 30/09/2020 08:30

You have an income of £70k so would be expected to pay for her, otherwise she should look at taking a student loan out - this would just be a deduction from her future pay when she is in employment.

hammeringinmyhead · 30/09/2020 08:30

People who can't afford it where I live go locally, live at home and get a part time job. In terms of parental help - we are saving now and my son is 2!

hammeringinmyhead · 30/09/2020 08:31

And yes, £70k income is well well above average so you're expected to be able to help.

mumonthehill · 30/09/2020 08:32

Firstly look around at unis as accommodation costs vary hugely, as do living costs. She will have to get a job, it is worth doing research before she goes on what is available. We are in your income bracket and we are paying DS a weekly amount. It is a stretch but we planned for it.

MaverickDanger · 30/09/2020 08:32

She has a part time job and/or works in the holidays. She could live at home or travel to a local uni. She could take a year out before and work. She could look for cheaper accommodation in a flat share away from campus/uni areas.

70k combined salary is more than what a lot of my friends’ parents had to send their kids uni on, and they did a combination of the above.

Marmite133 · 30/09/2020 08:33

Why aren't you considering a student loan? Even those who go 'for free' only get a certain a certain of maintenance grant and the rest is a loan.
Loan should cover all fees, then she could get a part time job to cover the rest of her accommodation. That's what lots of students do.

Cheesess · 30/09/2020 08:34

I graduated a couple of years ago.
I worked 24 hours a week throughout uni. I still got a first.
All of my friends had part time jobs.

Original poster
bustybetty · 30/09/2020 08:34

@hammeringinmyhead yes, I know 70K might sound a lot but once a mortgage and food and all the other deductions comes out we are not left with much, we usually do a 'cheap' foreign holiday which hasn't happened this year either. In lockdown I realised my entire income actually is spent on the teens clubs and after school activities. Now we have driving lessons to add into the mix.....ahhhhhh will we ever be reasonably off!!!

OP posts:
Cheesess · 30/09/2020 08:36

Also upped my hours to full time in the holidays and half term and saved all of that.

Original poster
bustybetty · 30/09/2020 08:36

@Marmite133 yes that's what I mean a student maintenance loan. what she would be entitled to is about 4k and the accommodation alone is about 7k a year. She is looking at Durham, I just don't get how normal folk afford it all.

OP posts:
Gatr · 30/09/2020 08:36

I was in the same position at university where my loan only covered half of my accommodation costs. Couldnt get a job because i was a health care student with erratic hours due to placements.
I worked full time each summer to save up for the following terms but unfortunately had to rely heavily on parents

Therealjudgejudy · 30/09/2020 08:36

She could work for a year beforehand...or get a student loan.
It's not rocket science Grin

LouiseTrees · 30/09/2020 08:37

My mum and dad were both on 20k. Although I stayed at home and went to a uni 1hr and a half away from home. I worked part time in retail which some weeks was just a Saturday or a weekend, some weeks in term time I’d do 2 x3 hour shifts during the week and 16 hours at the weekend so 22 hours total and others out with term time I’d do 38 hours.

Original poster
bustybetty · 30/09/2020 08:38

@mumonthehill

Firstly look around at unis as accommodation costs vary hugely, as do living costs. She will have to get a job, it is worth doing research before she goes on what is available. We are in your income bracket and we are paying DS a weekly amount. It is a stretch but we planned for it.
ah, if you don't mind me asking what do you contribute. I think she will have to work p/t but in the current climate I am concerned that there's not much available to this year group as many normal people are doing the lower paid jobs.
OP posts:
Wejustdontknow · 30/09/2020 08:39

Your entire income goes on after school clubs/activities? What are your children doing in clubs that costs £20k a year. I have a son who does football, karate, swimming and multi sports club and that costs around £60p/m in total
As above though in answer to your question, they either go locally to reduce costs, take out a loan, work or you help

Original poster
bustybetty · 30/09/2020 08:40

@Cheesess

I graduated a couple of years ago. I worked 24 hours a week throughout uni. I still got a first. All of my friends had part time jobs.
thats brilliant, shows it can be done. I think she will have to work but equally I don't want her to have to work so much that it robs her of the experience of uni. Its a hard mix, will have to wait and see what happens.
OP posts:
emptyshelvesagain · 30/09/2020 08:40

ahhhhhh will we ever be reasonably off!!!

Hmm

Jesus.

On 70k you are more that's reasonably off. Cut your cloth an all that, I'm sure it won't be difficult Biscuit

Ragwort · 30/09/2020 08:40

My DS is at Uni and our joint income is slightly less than your's, to 'make up' to the expected maintenance amount we are expected to give approx £200 per month (Not during the vacations). We can afford this, we don't have any other DC, but also expect our DS to find a part time job at Uni and work in the summer holiday to save up - which he does, not easy for all students or if you are studying medicine or similar I know.

You may also find your expenses are slightly less once your DD is not living at home, but start planning now.

Camomila · 30/09/2020 08:41

I went for 'free' as I was from a disadvantaged background - I still took out the maximum amount of loan on top of the bursaries/scholarship I got.

DHs family was a bit better off but only 'average' he also took out a loan, his parents helped out as much as they could and he worked every Saturday and holiday at Starbucks.

Do you live in commuting distance of any uni's that would be good for your DD?

Alovera · 30/09/2020 08:42

Same for me. Everyone saying ‘get a student loan’ hasn’t cottoned on that the amount you can borrow is means tested and the max amount is less than most accommodation if your parents earn over a certain amount.

OP I took a year out and saved like mad plus then this job allowed me to transfer to uni city and work part time. All holidays I worked full time hours again. My parents also gave me £100 per month for food. It was quite tough to see my peers receiving double the amount of money on student loan day!

Ragwort · 30/09/2020 08:43

Surely driving lessons are a special birthday gift at 17 not routine household expenses?

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 30/09/2020 08:43

I went to Durham, it's not cheap even private rents etc are expensive because it's got a captive student market, public transport to the outlying villages is poor and it's not really a driving city. Everyone lives in the city and you can walk from one side to the other in no time at all, it does mean transport costs are zero and you get a good work out going up and down the hills. I worked for a year before I went and got maximum loan I could. There's lots of work available not just bar, restaurant etc I had several jobs over the years at over of the large Tele sales centres, which whilst as a career would've been soul destroying it was actually quite fun part time and several friends worked there too and I could earn commission. I paid back my student loan through my salary. This is similar to what most people do. There are more than a handful at Durham completely funded by mummy and daddy, but there are plenty who are not.

Original poster
bustybetty · 30/09/2020 08:43

@Wejustdontknow

Your entire income goes on after school clubs/activities? What are your children doing in clubs that costs £20k a year. I have a son who does football, karate, swimming and multi sports club and that costs around £60p/m in total As above though in answer to your question, they either go locally to reduce costs, take out a loan, work or you help
after tax NI and other deductions its not 20K but my two girls represent England, plus music lessons and my younger son competes too. My point is that most of mine goes on stuff for the children. They do the schools week away which isn't cheap too and other trips that come up. plus we have had driving lessons for the older two which are not at all cheap.
OP posts:
Gatr · 30/09/2020 08:43

I think my other reply was lost

Not sure if those talking about student loans are not in the uk system or maybe part of the older system?

Certainly i was given a bursary for my tuition so that was paid, but the only loan i was entitled to was means tested based on my parents and aprox half of just my accommodation costs. I did have an over draft which was about £1000 a year but other than that wasnt entitled to loans