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Original poster

Financial support at university

238 replies

Tevion28 · 19/09/2021 13:38

Im already fretting about ds and how he will cope at university financially as after accomdation is paid he only has £540 left for next 3 months. He will probably get a job butvibwas wondering how much do you give your dc each week if anything

OP posts:
Kite22 · 20/09/2021 19:16

So,

He has chosen to spend an extra £40 - £45 every week by having an en-suite
He has chosen to lie about all summer rather than working for even part of it
He now thinks he is somehow entitled to gym membership (which isn't affordable to a lot of families)

......... and yet you think the system is unfair ??? Confused

Howshouldibehave · 20/09/2021 19:21

@Tevion28

His rent is at lower end of what was available and yes its ensuite
Sorry but 46 week contracts with en-suite rooms are NOT the lower end of the price range!!
Kite22 · 20/09/2021 19:26

I got full loan but it wasn’t enough to live on, if he is in a city it won’t be

It is for most students. Mine live off less than that - all in Cities.

gogohm · 20/09/2021 19:30

If he has the full loan he should have plenty. My Dds only get £4K each and I earn minimum wage (my dp doesn't but it's not his job to find them). My DDs' dad had paid the difference to accommodation and I give them £30 a week for food, anything else they need to earn

TractorAndHeadphones · 20/09/2021 19:32

@Howshouldibehave an ensuite could be the lower end of what’s left! When a family member went to uni a few years ago they were told to pick 5 and rank their choices - got given the last one (an ensuite double room). No changing unless someone else dropped out or agreed to swap.
You don’t always have a choice… and as halls make up so much of the experience it’s a bit sad to live elsewhere in your first year.

LannieDuck · 20/09/2021 19:44

Lannie he is been quite sensible about it all to be fair yesterday he bought a 80p box of cereal and some pot noodles

Ok, but that's not really a solution for how he's going to make £500 last 3 months.

rocklamp · 20/09/2021 19:49

Mine got the full loan and I sent £200 a month on top. The University he was attending didn't permit their students to have a part time job, so he couldn't earn anything. He managed fine on that amount.

user1487194234 · 20/09/2021 19:52

I pay their accommodation and give them 500 a month
Don't want them working term time

MrsSkylerWhite · 20/09/2021 19:56

Today 19:52 user1487194234

I pay their accommodation and give them 500 a month
Don't want them working term time“”

We’ve covered the rent for the first term: we would like him to assess what he’s realistically able to do work wise with his timetable without detrimentally affecting his work.

I realise we are fortunate to be able to do so. Husband and I. It’s worked, he through university snd me through technical college (ie16-18, my mum insisted it was condition of going: she expected rent from 16).

We were both worn out, most of the time.

MrsSkylerWhite · 20/09/2021 19:57

Second “work” = study.

Kite22 · 20/09/2021 21:08

Don't want them working term time

Why ever not ?
Why wouldn't you want your dc to gain valuable experience, transferable skills, time management, and budgeting skills?
Confused

TweetyPieBird · 20/09/2021 21:11

@Tevion28

His rent is at lower end of what was available and yes its ensuite
Sorry if you’ve already mentioned, but which Uni is this? I highly doubt that £6624 for 46 weeks is the cheapest on offer. He should go for cheaper accommodation, without an en-suite. Max maintenance loan outside of London is £9488 (inside London is £12,382).

Even if he does go for that expensive accommodation, he will have just over £61 per week (going off 46 weeks) to live on after paying rent. That’s more than enough!

user1487194234 · 20/09/2021 21:13

I want them to focus on their courses
They work in the holidays but in jobs/placements related to their courses

user1487194234 · 20/09/2021 21:14

Yes I was very hard up at Uni and didn't want that for mine

Cocomarine · 20/09/2021 21:19

How did he think he was going to manage?

He needs to get a job.

There are plenty going.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 20/09/2021 21:24

@Tevion28

I didn't push him to work during the summer he had worked extremely hard to get his grades for summer and thought he has many years of working life ahead of him so let him be.
The thing is, most people who go to university have worked hard to get their grades. It doesn't mean they can magically afford luxuries like gym memberships when they haven't worked. I always worked full time throughout summer breaks and part time during term times throughout uni and it was a great lesson in budgeting and living within my means. It's an important life skill and while I know it's too late now, in case people read this in future - you aren't doing your kids any favours by approving of them having a summer with no work between school and uni, you're delaying them learning important life skills and increasing the stress they will be under once they arrive at uni. I went hell for leather in summers with multiple jobs so that I didn't have to do so during term times and could work part time alongside studying outside of summer.

I second someone's suggestions of batch cooking with pals. I used to offer to cook for everyone if they bought the ingredients (none of them worked and none of them could cook so I didn't feel that guilty!) so they'd put in a fiver each and get a good few evenings of proper grub - Spag bol, chilli etc. It worked well.

It was sad people arrived at uni not knowing how much food costs, how to cook even basic stuff - one girl didn't know how to cook pasta, as in literally putting into boiling water. The summer between school and uni can be a really valuable learning curve to help get them ready for life outside the family home.

Again, sorry I know it's a dick move saying this now it's too late and that summer has passed but just wanted to say in case any of it is helpful for people in future.

Original poster
Tevion28 · 20/09/2021 21:33

Erm Kite22 unfair to higher income families nothing to do with my ds.

OP posts:
Newkitchen123 · 20/09/2021 21:33

@Tevion28

I didn't push him to work during the summer he had worked extremely hard to get his grades for summer and thought he has many years of working life ahead of him so let him be.
Most students work hard for their grades. I know I did when I was a student. Most students still get jobs though. I did. All my friends did. In the real adult world you're not rewarded with 3 months off for working hard. He could have worked over the summer and saved up so he had a cushion of money to fall back on. Like most students
MrsSkylerWhite · 20/09/2021 21:42

Kite22

Don't want them working term time

Why ever not ?
Why wouldn't you want your dc to gain valuable experience, transferable skills, time management, and budgeting skills?
confused“

Just the first term, for us.

He’s been shielding on behalf of his dad for the past 18 months, missed out on those vital, formative Sixth form years and has a lot of social and emotional catching up to do,

We’d rather he just bedded in and found his feet amongst other people for the first term.

BarbaraofSeville · 21/09/2021 04:14

I second someone's suggestions of batch cooking with pals. I used to offer to cook for everyone if they bought the ingredients (none of them worked and none of them could cook so I didn't feel that guilty!) so they'd put in a fiver each and get a good few evenings of proper grub - Spag bol, chilli etc. It worked well

The website (or book) Mob Kitchen is exactly for that situation. Recipes for four with accessible ingredients that should cost under £10 for 4 portions, that could be found in Tesco Metro or similar. If you have a group of students who all take a once a week turn in cooking, you have a good portion of the week covered.

kinzarose · 21/09/2021 07:37

I'm not sure if this is the case with OP, but if the family are on means tested benefits it can be really tricky and very expensive to go to uni. The child cannot work the summer whilst still at home as this is income, the child cannot live at home as student loan is considered income, so they may have to stay and pay for maximum amount of weeks so as not to jeopardize their parents benefits.

BananaPB · 21/09/2021 13:56

With Child Benefit and Tax Credits, teens can work 24 hours before affecting their parents claim.

BananaPB · 21/09/2021 13:59

OP is your son bothered ? Some adults live a lifestyle where they spend lots on one item (say a car) but happy to live on cheap food like instant noodles to compensate.

Original poster
Tevion28 · 21/09/2021 14:05

I think he will do okay on the hundred me and his dad shall send each week plus he is dividing the £540 into weekly payments so he will have £130 per week plus he has a student account with a £1000 overdraft and he received a letter yesterday that he will be getting a £750 bursary paid in 3 installments

OP posts:
Original poster
Tevion28 · 21/09/2021 14:06

The £540 its whats left of his student loan after rent

OP posts:
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