Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

CMS & Uni loans etc

12 replies

Sweetbabyrays · 24/11/2021 21:31

According to the CMS when DD turns 18 all maintenance stops. She is 18 in August and looking to start Uni in September. We have an arrangement via CMS as he fails to pay on a regular basis, lots of trips to court to get the money etc. He is the usual self employed dodger. DD doesn't have a relationship with him anymore as he just can't be bothered to even wish her a happy birthday or reply to texts, all on him not her.
So here is the bit that I'm lost on, she can only get minimal maintenance loan due to our household income. We will obviously have to subsidise this as her loan is only £4k, accommodation alone is more than that. But her Dad has to contribute absolutely nothing to this? He simply stops at 18 and walks away. This just doesn't seem like a fair system, I work but I'm not well but need to stay in work to pay for this. Even dropping hours wouldn't take us below the threshold. £65k household income sounds like enough but we have a big mortgage etc and it's not actually that much where we live. Is this right???

OP posts:
thetittifer · 25/11/2021 07:59

Will she be living at home whilst at uni?
Is she able to get a part time job?

SometimesRavenSometimesParrot · 25/11/2021 11:26

Essentially yes that’s how it works. Student loan entitlement is calculated on parental income of the parent the student lives with. It’s not a very fair system as you say but there are a couple of options:

  1. that she lives at home for first year, attending a local uni
  2. that she takes a gap year and saves up
  3. that she gets a part time job with guaranteed hours to cover some costs
  4. that she accessed a bursary or scholarship to help with costs

If you can’t afford to help her, please just be honest with her early enough that she can make appropriate decisions, and don’t feel bad if you can’t cover her costs.

thetittifer · 25/11/2021 14:45

Is your partners salary definitely meant to be included?

gogohm · 25/11/2021 15:05

Yes it's unfair but there's mean dads out there. If he was a high income earner you could try through the courts but it's likely to be unsuccessful if he's self employed hiding income.

I should add not all dads are mean, my ex supports our kids through spousal maintenance (private arrangement) as does dp for his dd

Summertime16 · 25/11/2021 15:09

@thetittifer yes if you have a partner it's the household income that's taken into consideration.
Martin Lewis has written an article about this as many blended families are not aware.

chesirecat99 · 25/11/2021 15:13

Unfortunately, student finance is based on the household income of the RP.

Her DF doesn't have to contribute anything unless CM was court ordered until your DD completes her undergraduate degree.

Original poster
Sweetbabyrays · 25/11/2021 21:52

Thanks all for replies, she wants a Uni that is too far away from home to travel, we have visited the one local one but the course didn't really offer what would suit unfortunately. I'm sure somehow we will have to scrap by but it just seems so unfair. After years of raising our child alone and now with my new partner it is just so heavily reliant on the RP. Things really need to change.

OP posts:
twilightermummy · 25/11/2021 21:55

You’ll just have to ask him but, even if he agrees, be prepared that he may not keep his promise.

SometimesRavenSometimesParrot · 26/11/2021 00:51

@Sweetbabyrays

Thanks all for replies, she wants a Uni that is too far away from home to travel, we have visited the one local one but the course didn't really offer what would suit unfortunately. I'm sure somehow we will have to scrap by but it just seems so unfair. After years of raising our child alone and now with my new partner it is just so heavily reliant on the RP. Things really need to change.
Then she needs to get a part time job asap and contribute to the costs. She could pick up seasonable work over Christmas as a start.

Involve her in the financial conversations and make it clear what she’ll need to contribute. You can’t give her what you haven’t, particularly if you have health issues.

SometimesRavenSometimesParrot · 26/11/2021 01:00

I don’t mean to sound harsh but students do need a reality check. It’s really rubbish for everyone on the (thankfully relatively rare) occasions that a student has to drop out towards the end of first year or in second year because their parents can’t make the expected contributions so I think it’s really important that conversations are open and honest about this and the idea of a gap year to save a buffer fund is discussed.

As an example I’ve recently supported a student who’s father earns about 70k - but he’s paying off huge debts he accrued after a literal series of unfortunate events. Their household income was fine with her mum also earning, but her younger sibling has become seriously ill and so mums had to stop work and they’re managing on the one wage, as well as all the extra costs that go into having a child so ill. Consequently they’ve said they can’t make the money up for her this year and she’s massively struggling and having to consider deferring a year. It’s a rubbish system.

jayritchie · 28/11/2021 21:47

I wish people were more aware that partners incomes were taken into account for student finance. At the least it should be part of the discussion about the relationship.

Original poster
Sweetbabyrays · 29/11/2021 08:22

I agree. Fortunately My partner is great and is more than willing to pay for her Uni shortfall despite how tight it will makes things for us. DD is going to get a part time job and is so very grateful for the sacrifices we will have to make. I'm makes me so mad that the actual father can just walk away without any care or responsibility in this situation 😡

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page