Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
knittingaddict · 17/08/2021 13:40

I wonder if PalmsandCharm will come back to acknowledge that she was wrong.

Abraxan · 17/08/2021 22:49

My point was, and still is, that most students can manage without constant regular handouts from parents.

Most student don't get a full loan of £9k though.

Dd gets minimum loan which doesn't even cover her accommodation costs.

She'd have to live on a negative amount of money if we didn't give her additional money!!

Original poster
Tevion28 · 18/08/2021 07:19

Seems alot of your dc get part of the loan that must be hard especially if you have other dc.

OP posts:
Original poster
Tevion28 · 18/08/2021 07:20

My income is low so at what stage does the loan reduce

OP posts:
Original poster
Tevion28 · 18/08/2021 07:26

Some of the household incomes on here must be pretty good though

OP posts:
pointythings · 18/08/2021 07:42

Tevion28 link here The rates are a little way down the page.

You need a household income of around £60k for the rate to drop to around £4.5 k per year in England. That is indeed a pretty good income (we had a bit less than that when my husband was still alive), but in some areas it won't go very far due to really high housing costs.

My DDs get one tier below the max because I am a lone parent earning just over £30k. For me it's pretty generous, but I still support them.

user1470132907 · 18/08/2021 07:59

It’s means tested so you’re expected to top it up

If he wants 3 nights out a week, with taxis, then that’s great but he may need to try and find work during term or holidays. That said, it’s not always so easy to find!

Limewine · 18/08/2021 08:48

I know parents who really struggle if they have two kids at Uni and they are just at the threshold. At the risk of getting a flaming we would struggle on £75k between us - never mind being asked to pay out £10k net of tax every year for our twins to attend Uni.
We knew it was coming so we had been saving up the £30k for a while but many people don't - it's really not a fair system (a) the assessed income of the parents needs to be more generous and (b) the Government need to run information campaigns.

knittingaddict · 18/08/2021 08:55

@Tevion28

Some of the household incomes on here must be pretty good though
Yes ours is "pretty good", but that doesn't mean families like ours can all afford £300 a month for their child's uni costs. My child wasn't even a teenager when she went - more like 22, but because she still lived at home we had to pay. I don't begrudge her a penny of it, but I do get so annoyed with the posts from parents who got the entire loan and then castigate us for paying for our children's food and rent. They need to educate themselves.
Jerseygirl12 · 18/08/2021 09:04

Our income is high but having three years of two at uni costing £500 a month each was still taking a hit. Especially through the pandemic when they were at home eating everything.

pointythings · 18/08/2021 09:09

@Limewine

I know parents who really struggle if they have two kids at Uni and they are just at the threshold. At the risk of getting a flaming we would struggle on £75k between us - never mind being asked to pay out £10k net of tax every year for our twins to attend Uni. We knew it was coming so we had been saving up the £30k for a while but many people don't - it's really not a fair system (a) the assessed income of the parents needs to be more generous and (b) the Government need to run information campaigns.
I wouldn't flame you at all. As of September I will have 3 at uni - two of mine and one I've fostered. I'm supporting all three. The only reason I can is that they get the higher rate of maintenance loan and I'm lucky enough to have no housing cost and considerable savings. I couldn't do it on my income alone. It really is expensive, and considering most of this government got free University tuition and grants, it also feels very unjust.
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 18/08/2021 09:13

Some of the household incomes on here must be pretty good though
It doesn't take into consideration your outgoings though.

SafeMove · 18/08/2021 09:25

Our household income is 'pretty good' now... after buying a house with DP in June. Before it was 31k, now it is 70k. We still keep our own finances though, just pay bills 50/50. But DP's finances would be taken in to account now. DS1 has deferred this year. But next year, I will prob have to take out a loan to 'top up' as I can only access my disposable income. I should have stayed a lone parent. Could kick myself.

Original poster
Tevion28 · 18/08/2021 09:35

I feel pretty poor now tbh

OP posts:
Original poster
Tevion28 · 18/08/2021 09:37

I seem to be among the minority that is getting the full loan Blush

OP posts:
Limewine · 18/08/2021 09:39

And quite a number of parents just don’t pay! No one can force them - which leaves the affected kids in a very difficult situation. The system needs reviewing.

RampantIvy · 18/08/2021 09:40

IMO this thread should be linked to the threads where posters ask about the downsides of having large families.

Original poster
Tevion28 · 18/08/2021 09:44

I guess it all swings around because I may not be struggling as much as somebody with 2 kids at uni with a very large mortgage

OP posts:
TractorAndHeadphones · 18/08/2021 09:48

@RampantIvy

IMO this thread should be linked to the threads where posters ask about the downsides of having large families.
Definitely- people are under the impression that loans cover everything! There are really so many variables in terms of living cost , course load and personal ability. You can’t judge how much money is needed.
Limewine · 18/08/2021 09:48

@Tevion28

I seem to be among the minority that is getting the full loan Blush
Your dc’s rent must be obscene! He has £179 a month after he’s paid rent for the first term! When I make up their loans to the full amount my kids are left with £92/week and that’s spread over 40 weeks
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 18/08/2021 09:50

I guess it all swings around because I may not be struggling as much as somebody with 2 kids at uni with a very large mortgage

I know 2 people whose second kids have had to to defer uni as there isn't enough to top up both sets of loans at the same time.

pointythings · 18/08/2021 09:50

RampantIvy the system is so ungenerous that two DC feels like a 'large family'. And it really isn't.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 18/08/2021 09:54

@Limewine rent can be obscene and totally depends which part of the country you're in and if there's loads of cheaper student accommodation. I know a student who is paying £90 per week which is about what I was hoping to pay but as I said earlier we are paying £160 and that's considered a bargain.

'Only another year' is our mantra Grin

qualitygirl · 18/08/2021 09:54

Why is it so hard for teens/students in the U.K. to get part time jobs. I'm in Ireland and I had my first summer job at 13. All of my current cousins between the ages of 14 and 22 have summer/part time jobs. They range from
Cousin age 17-Hotel restaurants- summer and weekends
2 cousins age 16 Bar food-waitressing- summer and weekends
Cousin age 18 -Clarks shoe shop- summer and weekend
Cousin age 21 -works weekends and summer in a pharmacy
Cousin age 14- summer work in a chipper
Cousin age 18- summer work at a sports camp.
Cousin age 17- summer and weekends in a spar.

It is the norm here for teenagers to work! Why is it so so difficult for them in the U.K.?

I had a range of jobs from the age of 13 from supermarkets, restaurants, a day creche, hotels, retail. Etc

TractorAndHeadphones · 18/08/2021 09:58

@qualitygirl

Why is it so hard for teens/students in the U.K. to get part time jobs. I'm in Ireland and I had my first summer job at 13. All of my current cousins between the ages of 14 and 22 have summer/part time jobs. They range from Cousin age 17-Hotel restaurants- summer and weekends 2 cousins age 16 Bar food-waitressing- summer and weekends Cousin age 18 -Clarks shoe shop- summer and weekend Cousin age 21 -works weekends and summer in a pharmacy Cousin age 14- summer work in a chipper Cousin age 18- summer work at a sports camp. Cousin age 17- summer and weekends in a spar.

It is the norm here for teenagers to work! Why is it so so difficult for them in the U.K.?

I had a range of jobs from the age of 13 from supermarkets, restaurants, a day creche, hotels, retail. Etc

For students it depends on the area. Many universities in the arse end of nowhere with not much going on. Of course there’s a lot of competition for jobs….
Swipe left for the next trending thread