To think the government needs to something quickly to help families financially supporting children at Uni.

[Fl0renc3]

Mortgages are going up( ours will by 300 when we remortgage v soon), energy bills will be going up hugely, ditto food, petrol etc…. Already making all the savings we can.

We have got to start paying our child £500 a month to live on from October on top. It was already going to be a squeeze.Her bills will be rocketing too so who knows if what we were planning to give her will be enough.

We don’t have a money tree and have 2 other children due to start Uni in the next few years. I know the poorest and the richest will be ok re funding for their child at Uni but there is a massive band in the middle who won’t. Whether or not you can go to Uni shouldn’t be decided on parental income( thanks Tories) but those already there and just starting are going to be in dire straits as are the families supporting them.

It’s always been disgusting that Uni kids loans are based on their parents income. They are adults.
It should be changed and they all should be treated the same.

I’m with you on this one. It’a a loan that the student takes out. What the hell has the parents income got to do with anything? The student is the one to pay it back. I’ve never understood why they shouldn’t be eligible for the full loan regardless. Definitely needs reform.

I agree OP, as usual the middle loses out as they’re expected to be able to ‘top up’ their child whereas the poorest get a higher maintenance amount.

Can your DC get a job to help support themselves?

I know. Tories don’t care as they can all afford to fund their kids. But what are families and students of the stretched middle going to do? The cut off band is pretty low. It is going to impact a lot of young people and their families.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation are it's not going to change before September and the 'Government' means tax payers ... you and me. Do you want to pay more tax to subsidise students?

Unless your DD is doing medicine or a similar course she can find part time work .. my DS works at a Football Club during his Uni term times ... he gets to earn money, watch a match and get a meal. Hospitality is crying out for staff at the moment. Is she working now to save up?

Absolutely agree with this. It should have nothing to do with parental income. 18 year olds are adults, and we expect them to act as adults - while mid income parents are being crippled by having to pay for their education. And I say this as someone whose student children have full loans due to the fact that lockdowns have obliterated my income.

However, I think there's a wider problem, and it goes back to Tony Blair and his target of 50% of young people attending university. The whole system needs to be reformed; fewer young people should be going to university, and the alternatives ought to be much better, and better funded, than they are.

It’s always been this way to an extent. But yes the middle incomes lose out and the system is stupid. I know of at least 2 people who had the full loans/ grants despite their NRPs being multi millionaires!

I got married whilst at uni. Made a massive difference to my student loan/maintenance as it started being based on student DHs income. Does she fancy a civil partnership with a friend? Or you could document your becoming estranged. Only half joking!

Truss is on cloud cuckoo land if she thinks a cut in National insurance will sort it and Sunak is a millionaire so couldn’t give a shit. The future looks grim for students. Many are going to have to drop out.

I’m going to put to one side my Brexit anger re the jobs and Uni courses now shut off to them too.

It is unfair that some students can’t access the full loan, but why do you have to pay so much a month? Didn’t your DC get a job at 16 to dave money for uni? Can’t they get a job at uni and in the summers?

I know things were cheaper when I went to uni but I wasn’t elegible for the full loan so I worked before and during uni to fund the gap myself.

She will need to get a job! I work at a uni and a lot of students have no financial help from their family, they get a part time job to work around their studies. Currently they can choose where they work as so many people crying out for staff.

OP, I agree with your basic view - but it's nothing to do with Tories (I am not a Tory). Huge swathes of the 'stretched middle' are Tories, and they are the ones who are being stuffed! Bear in mind it was Blair's Labour government who came up with the shit idea of student loans in the first place...

I agree that it needs reform. The way the system is at the moment where loans are based on household income puts a huge pressure on resident parents and possibly step parents, while allowing NRP’s, who may or may not have contributed maintenance, to be free of any financial obligation as soon as their child turns 18. It makes no sense.

The students can work PT

The students can work in the holidays

Why can't she work to make up the shortfall?

Her loans will only cover her accommodation. Hospitality is going to go down the drain. There will be no jobs. Who on earth is going to be to afford to eat out? She was advised that her course is intensive and working probably not advisable.

I totally agree, us in the middle are left really struggling. My daughter is working and is staying home and studying local. She's happy with that as are we and there's a lot less stress with this way but it's unfair her loans are based on my dh high wage, he isn't her dad, and yet his daughter will be able to get maximum loans as her mum doesn't work. Whole system is grossly unfair

Right now there are loads of hospitality jobs going. There’s also loads of others. Lots of courses are intensive and students still work, mine was and I did. I don’t think you can blame the government for not helping more when you’re not expecting your DC to help herself first.

I know I’ll get told it’s not a race to the bottom.
But I’ll admit my sympathy for financial hardship isn’t highest for this “squeezed middle” example.
You choose to have 3 children, reasonably close together. With one just starting uni in October you have had notice of impending recession before her even viewing universities, let alone the other two.

Choose local universities.
Get jobs.
Work for a year before going and let them save every penny whilst living at home.
If you have to, remortgage and increase your term to reduce your own outgoings.

Honestly, 3 years ago did you ever give a single thought to the families and students already choosing local universities and working?

There are plenty of holidays & days they don't attend when the students can work.

my friends DD is starting in Sept/Oct & my friend is stressed about the money, however, there are loads of jobs locally her DD could have done in the holidays, but all she has done is loaf around at home. She's 15 mins walk from our local town, but couldn't possibly consider getting an actual job!

she also has talents/skills she could have easily tutored several subjects or done some childcare & teaching.

No just lying on the bed/sofa....

younger sister (almost 16) the same. (Nice!) Neighbours even offered to pay her to entertain their 7&9 yo DD's (lovely house, garden, toys etc) while they WFH, so no responsibility, just keep them entertained (lovely easy kids I've looked after before, but want to chat to m&d while they're working if no one else around) was offered to drop, collect & pay - for movies, lido, days out if she wanted.

nope, not because she's busy with friends etc just flopping about the house, complaining she's hot/bored...

Love my friend, but FFS.

And presuming that jobs will still be around why should those in the middle have the stress and impact on their future degree whilst those either side can just focus on studying. There are travel implications too which will cost( bus fares round here are rocketing), I’m starting to worry that no job will cover costs for students that are going to rocket( rent, food, bills). Costs for restaurants are going to go up dramatically too.They are not going to be able to pay more, less are going to eat out, more are going to go bust, ditto shops….

Has she been working these holidays???

no course is so intensive they can't work in the holidays At All 🤦🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

I’ve supported my stepson through university as the higher salaries between his dad and me. We’re a family. Why did you move your husband in and marry him if you didn’t want to be a family?

assume she is working now and saving for October?

This is very defeatist. You need to live in the moment and right now there ARE jobs and there ARE lots of people eating out.