Panicking about sending twins to uni next year

[Em3425]

My twins are now 17 and both are thinking about applying to university. I would like them both to have this opportunity but it really concerns me that we will not be able to afford the 'parental contribution' - i.e. the shortfall between the amount of the student loan and the actual cost. We both work full time and our income, whilst by no means high, apparently means that our expected contribution for them both will be over £5,000. We literally live from paypacket to paypacket and have had no spare cash to save - we can't afford to go out, go on holiday, buy new clothes etc and we are going to be even worse off when their Child Benefit stops. I know they will both have to work if they want to go to uni but with the shortage of working opportunities currently I am worried for them and wondering if there is anyone else in the same position, if they have found any support out there and/or how we can reduce the costs so this is doable.

@Lkinnard3 basically the maximum loan they can take, a job and an overdraft. Choose the cheapest accommodation or live at home and commute to a uni. Take a gap year and work to bank some money. You can compare the cost of uni accommodation before they apply. Somewhere like Durham has a set amount for catered and self-catered whereas Warwick or Loughborough have much cheaper options.

It is totally shit and I think this should be told to parents when their children start secondary school. I also think it is appalling that there is no discounted rate for those with twins. It is the reason we planned a 3 plus year gap between our children as both Dh and I went to uni when grants were being phased out.

@Lkinnard3 I know families with multiple births whose parents separated so they would get full maintenance loan. Drastic but effective!

1stly are you sure you will only get the bare minimum loan of around 4K per year per child?

We funded one DC for a year then 2 of them for 3 years and now having a year off before starting again for 3 years. So it will be a minimum of 8 years in total.

I feel for you. The twin thing makes it so much harder.
I don't know where you live but DD and ask her friends found it really easy to get jobs last year (lots in waitressing/bar work, some in admin, others in retail) over the summer. They need to be proactive and understand that they will need to work hard to earn for uni. (Exams usually finish in June and uni starts mid/late September so they can do lots). For example our local Tesco employs a lot of students and then transfers them onto a zero hour contract at their uni city as well. I know someone who was working 40-50 hours a week over the summer and is doing a few hours a week at uni.
It's definitely possible but I imagine much harder if you're in a rural area without public transport.

I think you need to speak to them asap.

They need to consider:

-Working during a gap year (or two)
-Staggering so that they don't go at the same time
-Attending a local university so that they can live at home at least after the first year.

• picking their potential universities based on cost of accommodation and general cost of living
• applying for scholarships

with the shortage of working opportunities currently I am worried for them

I know this isn't AIBU but have you been living under a noise-cancelling rock OP? There are loads of jobs around at the moment. Your twins will be fine, they will have to work to supplement their loans and will find work to do so. Lots of students do.

And I agree some cities are much cheaper to live in than others and if they can do the course they want in those cities they could consider prioritising them. Liverpool and Hull spring to mind.

I’d agree with that. All of DD’s upper sixth friends have jobs, DD has two - one is more seasonal so hasn’t got much in the way of work for her right now. But it hasn’t been difficult for any of them to find work at all. And if they secure a job with a company that is a chain they are often happy to transfer between branches.

I would also agree with that. There are masses of jobs in hospitality. In the past week ds1 has seen notices up in KFC, our local pub, the theatre in the nearest city, the local cinema and the bistro in the village.

It's a zombie thread from last Autumn (2020) which is why OP said there were no jobs to be had. The situation has turned on its head now and hopefully the twins have by now worked out what they're doing.

Ah that’ll be why. Didn’t even clock that. How annoying 🤦🏼‍♀️