Financial support at university

[Tevion28]

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

When he gets a job we will reduce the 100 a week probably

You mean monthly surely....? He's not going to be getting £130 a week loan, plus £100 a week from you...?

Assuming you do mean monthly, then he'll be on £230 a month, plus the bursary which will make it up to around £300 a month.

Which is fine - after food that's around £50 a week beer, trainers and kebab money. Do you have that much to fritter each week?

Titchy £100 per week off me and dad and whats left of his student loan after rent £30 per week so £130 a week

£530 per month

£530 per month for food etc plus he has a £1000 overdraft and bursary of £750 that will be paid in 3 goes

£530 a month Fucking hell OP that's loads. That's far more than most get. Far more.... Mine get £400 a month and still have enough to buy festival tickets, MacBooks etc.

How are you affording £100 a week then if you're in a low income...

@Tevion28

£530 per month

You're seriously worrying that he'll only have £530 a month?

I would be putting a seriously short time limit on giving him £100 a week so he has an incentive to work.

Attitude wise, you said he didn't think he should have to during summer holidays. It sounds like he also assumed the finances would simply be taken care of somehow - you're now buying into (literally!) that approach to work and money. Not doing him any favours in the long term. Or yourself, you don't want to become his default source every time he has to choose between working and asking you for money...

If you're not a high income family then surely £400 a month is shitloads to be sending him? I would maybe give him a month's grace but make it clear he needs to actively find part time work to get money in after that.

But then I wouldn't have let him spend all summer not working so I might just be mean

We have a very small mortgage old cars nothing on finance etc and no other children

@Tevion28

We have a very small mortgage old cars nothing on finance etc and no other children

Regardless, a time limit on you giving him that much a week would be a good incentive for him to get a strong work ethic and learn to budget according to his income.

You could even put some money away each month and give it to him at the end of his studies, to give him some help towards getting on the property ladder a little sooner than he could otherwise. I was always very envious of friends who had that chunk of cash given as a surprise at the end of uni - it's a lovely thing to do if financially possible.

I don't think you're doing him any favours or teaching him the value of money by not insisting he works, at least part time. I get that the degree is more important but it should be easily manageable on most courses to work say 15 or 16 hours per week. My daughter has worked since she was 16 and it's definitely taught her the value of money and how long it takes her to earn it etc. Up to you though I guess, just my opinion.

Seriously what was the point of your OP. He's going to be getting a lot more than the vast majority of students. You've created an entitled little sod.

Considering what people get on JSA £530pm is plenty unless there's a drip feed like £200pm car costs or something. With £100pw from you as well, there's no incentive to get a job.

My DS on full loan and I give him an extra £80 per month just to make sure he has enough for food.

Here's another thought OP - if he's in expensive accommodation because he applied late or whatever then he could probably move to cheaper accommodation (no ensuite!) a couple of weeks into term.

There's quite a high dropout rate typically, and I know some of DS's friends moved as they didn't get their first choice initially. Although with many Unis being oversubscribed this year due to Covid it may be harder.

Titchy I already said this is only until he gets a job.

He is hoping to get a shared house next year

@Tevion28

Titchy I already said this is only until he gets a job.

He won't get a job though will he? Certainly not with such generous parents! I mean the evidence speaks for itself surely - he didn't get a job over the summer cos he couldn't be arsed. You're giving him far more than most others get. There's no incentive for him to have to work.

@Tevion28

Titchy I already said this is only until he gets a job.

But he won't get a part time job that pays about the same as £100pcm from you for doing no part time work, will he? He's shown he would rather do less and have other people cushion the blow for him so I think you need a strict time limit otherwise you're going to fine he has no incentive to get working!

He wants to get a job he has been putting his cv around today.

£130pw / £530 pm ?????
(Although that maths doesn't work but....)

That is FAR more than most students get, after their rent.

My dd gets £150pm to live on, after rent, and says it is fine.

She has now also got herself a job, so that she can afford more luxuries, like festivals over the Summer, and some driving lessons / driving test , and some holidays.

Obviously if he is your only child and you have the money to spare, you can give him what you want, but I'm now not sure why you started the thread.

So he will have £530 per month after he has paid his rent? You will be sending an additions £100 per week, so an average of £930 per month. Then an additional £250 per term as a bursary. His bus pass has also been paid for. Like others I honestly cannot understand why you started this post, your DS is more than comfortable financially.

I'm in the lucky position of being able to fund DD who has just started but we only agreed to fund the ensuite room as she has IBS (and now DSA will pay the extra) but it is £20 a week - ie £80 a month that your DS could have had in his pocket.

We did spend a lot of time teaching her about how to budget (as IBS friendly food is eye wateringly expensive). Your son needs to learn that seemingly cheap short cuts aren't - pot noodles are expensive for what they are. eg a pot noodle is 75p a 500g bag of budget pasta is 29p and a jar of tomato sauce is 39p - sauce will make at least two portions and the bag of pasta several. Many accomodation blocks have gym rooms which residents can use free of charge and if he doesn't have one he can look for somewhere cheap - a student gym is usually less than £100 a year.

I think he needs to learn to cut his coat according to his cloth. I am perhaps less harsh on the working front - mine did a lot of volunteering over the summer which was useful work experience for what she wants to do in the future.

Blueskythinking123 No you have got this wrong its £520 with our £100 per week so he will only get £520 per month not 930

@Tevion28

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

£130 left over every single week is WAY more than most students. So he’ll have £130 from student finance plus £100 from mum and dad every single week? He’s raking it in!