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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

University living costs

280 replies

Tevion28 · 15/08/2021 20:52

Hi posting here for traffic but do any of you have dc going off to university this year and will be subsidising them or leaving them to it.
Have found that my ds will have £179 a month left for first 3 months after he has paid his rent. This is supposed to cover food, travel clothes. Whats your experience of any dc you already have at uni.

OP posts:
SafeMove · 16/08/2021 20:41

My PhD is linked to my job though, so I am lucky to be earning Band 6 to do it.

cadburyegg · 16/08/2021 20:45

Forgot to say that the above example assumes student is living away from home in London (most expensive scenario)

UndertheCedartree · 16/08/2021 20:52

When I did my nursing degree which was 4 days per week 9.30-4 half the time and then the other half full time hours on placement plus the need for time to write assignments and study for exams - a large proportion of the students worked bank at the hospital. We also only had 7 weeks off per year. It was a necessity for many as the bursary was less than the student loan and a large amount were mature students so no help from parents.

Limewine · 17/08/2021 06:58

For example, if your household income is 50k, the student is doing a 3 year course, and you have no other children then you’d be expected to contribute £3360 a year, or £280 a month. Makes no difference if you have other children at Uni or at home - you are still expected to pay the same.

Limewine · 17/08/2021 07:01

Sorry seems to make a small difference if you have under 16's. No let up for have two kids at uni though.

knittingaddict · 17/08/2021 07:26

We sent our daughter £300 a month. The student loan didn't even cover the rent. Her degree needed materials to be bought and a trip to New York paid for too. She had a job, but the degree was more full time than most.

knittingaddict · 17/08/2021 07:28

Looks like that calculator was spot on then cadburyegg

2pinkginsplease · 17/08/2021 07:44

He needs to get a job, every student I know has one. He can’t expect you to fund his 3 nights out a week!

Hospitality is the best area to get a job as they are flexible and normally offer zero hour contracts.

Students I know are studying finance, engineering, law, mental health nursing and they all have jobs to work around their studies.

PalmsandCharms · 17/08/2021 07:49

@Comefromaway

In my experience (my son recently left uni) the loan was more than sufficient to pay his rent. He ran a car and never needed any family support. His loan was enough to cover everything.

But how much loan did your son actually get? Some students get £9k loan, some get £6k. Others something in between. There is a big difference.

He got full loan. It was sufficient for him to live on. I couldn't afford to give him hundreds a month. I paid his mobile phone and his car breakdown cover. He never asked for, or needed, anything else. In fact, he had more disposable income than me.
PalmsandCharms · 17/08/2021 07:55

Oh, and he didn't have a job whilst away at uni. He worked when he returned home for the summer, etc, but that was more out of boredom than needing the money.

My point was, and still is, that most students can manage without constant regular handouts from parents. Yes be there for emergencies and treat them every so often, but there really is no need to throw hundreds of pounds a month at them to fund their 'wants' (3 nights out a week with taxis!). You're not doing them any favours in the long run.

HelloMissus · 17/08/2021 07:57

palms if he got the full loan then that’s great.
Most students don’t get that.
Many get only the minimum. Which very often doesn’t even cover the rent.
So that difference has to be covered by parents and work.

HelloMissus · 17/08/2021 07:59

I think the minimum loan right now is around £3,500.

HelloMissus · 17/08/2021 08:04

The average price of a first year in halls (not swanky ones aimed at international students) is over 6k.
Plus of course students have to live too.

SimonJT · 17/08/2021 08:28

@PalmsandCharms

Oh, and he didn't have a job whilst away at uni. He worked when he returned home for the summer, etc, but that was more out of boredom than needing the money.

My point was, and still is, that most students can manage without constant regular handouts from parents. Yes be there for emergencies and treat them every so often, but there really is no need to throw hundreds of pounds a month at them to fund their 'wants' (3 nights out a week with taxis!). You're not doing them any favours in the long run.

The majority of students aren’t awarded the full loan, the majority of students can’t cover their rent with their loan.

The majority of students cannot afford to attend university without financial support.

If my son was starting university this year he would only get £4,400 per year maintenance loan. You won’t find many halls of residence under £84 a week.

Jerseygirl12 · 17/08/2021 08:37

PalmsandCharms your DC got 9k, mine got 4K.

RampantIvy · 17/08/2021 08:38

You are right @simonJT.

Also, part time jobs with regular hours are as rare as hen's teeth these days. DD's friends who currently have jobs work in hospitality. They get notified of their shifts a week or two in advance. They have all had covid and have had to self isolate several times.

DD's university timetable, especially during recent times has been very ad hoc as well. Zoom seminars and lab sessions (up to 6 hours long) are often scheduled at short notice. I can't see this going down well with an employer.

Comefromaway · 17/08/2021 10:05

He got full loan. It was sufficient for him to live on. I couldn't afford to give him hundreds a month. I paid his mobile phone and his car breakdown cover. He never asked for, or needed, anything else. In fact, he had more disposable income than me.

Of course he didn't need handouts from you if he got the full loan. That's plenty to live on. It's almost £9.5k per year.

But most students don't get that. My son will get about half of what your son got.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 17/08/2021 10:29

He got full loan. It was sufficient for him to live on. I couldn't afford to give him hundreds a month. I paid his mobile phone and his car breakdown cover. He never asked for, or needed, anything else. In fact, he had more disposable income than me

Why would he need top ups if he got a full loan? Lots of students only get the minimum which is half that.

Doomscrolling · 17/08/2021 10:50

DS is one year ahead of your DS, OP. He got about £4k, and the cheapest uni accommodation for his university was £5,200 and an absolute dive. We paid the accommodation (£5,700) and his loan was his to live off and manage himself. It was good for him to learn budgeting and I know he had some skint weeks as well as some overspending weeks. It’s part of growing up.

None of the students took taxis anywhere, they all walked or took the bus.

Howshouldibehave · 17/08/2021 10:53

He got full loan. It was sufficient for him to live on

Well, of course it was. You do understand though, that some of us have children who get the minimum loan, which is half the full one. What do you suppose they should do?

I honestly don’t think some people think about situations outside their own existence!

Limewine · 17/08/2021 11:18

Loads of people don’t know the maintenance loan is means tested - even those who will have to top up their dc’s loans - the Gov have not exactly been very upfront about it.

Howshouldibehave · 17/08/2021 11:23

@Limewine

Loads of people don’t know the maintenance loan is means tested - even those who will have to top up their dc’s loans - the Gov have not exactly been very upfront about it.
My point was, and still is, that most students can manage without constant regular handouts from parents

It’s good for posters to reply when people write unhelpful, dismissive and rather patronising things like this then… to raise awareness.

It’s not that these children need regular parental help because they are frittering their loan on crap, it’s that they are getting HALF the money!

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 17/08/2021 11:30

I'd also like to point out that depending on where the uni is that Halls can actually be the cheapest accommodation during the 3 years . I was moaning about paying £116 per week for halls ( and they were lovely) little did I realise that by year three rent would be £160 a week plus bills and that would be considered cheap. Totally depends on where the uni is but lots of places don't have loads of student housing and what they do have is expensive.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 17/08/2021 11:31

Loads of people don’t know the maintenance loan is means tested - even those who will have to top up their dc’s loans - the Gov have not exactly been very upfront about it that's very true.

TractorAndHeadphones · 17/08/2021 12:00

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

Loads of people don’t know the maintenance loan is means tested - even those who will have to top up their dc’s loans - the Gov have not exactly been very upfront about it that's very true.
@PalmsandCharms knows though - she said her son got the ‘full loan’. If everyone got the same amount it would be just loan wouldn’t it? Just wants the thrill of kicking other people on an anonymous forum