Uni costs - student/parent paying

[MarysMonologue]

This isn't so much a TAAT but more sort of off the back of a few posts I have seen about sending kids off to university lately.

Is it more common now for parents to pay? I graduated 10 years ago, and whilst I was at University very few of my peers had fees/accommodation paid for. All of us worked, usually Friday/Saturday/Sunday and used that alongside our loans. I only knew one person who had their fees paid for and received a weekly allowance (and even still he took out the maintenance loan without telling his parents and squandered it all on having a very very good time).

But I see more and more threads about parents covering costs, and not many mention jobs. Are students no longer working through University? Or is it just a case now where the loans students get, just is not feasible to live on and cover the rising costs these days?

For me, I couldn't have survived without my PT job and to be honest, my £500 student overdraft. But they did keep me ticking over - I definitely had a lot of beans on toast and super noodle dinners though. I got the minimum loan, as my parents earned just over the threshold but they just couldn't have afforded to pay for me. Not with my siblings at home, mortgage etc. Although in saying that, if I was really stuck they would have made sure I wasn't in trouble of course but at the detriment to their own bills I imagine.

Just wondering out loud really. With a very young baby, I am curious at how much it has all changed. Although in saying that, by the time they go to University (if they want to), it will have changed even more! We're discussing opening a bank account for her, but to be honest it was more for general stuff in her future, maybe a car etc, I hadn't earmarked it for University fees.

loans are calculated on the basis that the parent will make up the difference from the minimum to maximum loan. So yes you support your child.

We have supported ours by topping up the minimum loan to the recommended amount, as well as paying for annual bus passes, and having them raid the cupboards for food parcels when they've been home for the weekend. I can't imagine letting one of them struggle for food tbh.

Nobody I know has totally paid for their dc so they don't need any loans (I get the point if you're made of money and won't miss it, but I've been surprised to read threads on here where people seem to have saved up to pay student fees)

In terms of jobs one of ours had plenty of free time in the week so worked p/t all through uni, the other had way more lab/contact time so couldn't fit it in and worked all summer instead.

I agree and where the loan isn't made up by parents to the full maintenance amount, the student would have to work to cover the difference themselves.
Also usually the minimum loan (and even the maximum in some cities) is often insufficient to cover the extortionate rental amounts these days. Living at home can be much more cost effective.
I have fully funded my DC and when one did take an online job, I let them keep their earnings as savings rather than reduce the amount of our support.
Get saving would be my advice.

I should have mentioned in my post that I went to University just an hour away from my parents house, and my PT job was in my home town. So I was able to raid the fridge every weekend when I went home which helped!

I think it is the amount of threads I see where full costs are being covered that have surprised me. It just seems to be much more common these days that it was. Which is great for all involved if you can afford it, has just shocked me how many seem to do it!

@abc5432 I don't think it wrong for students to work to support themselves. I think it's actually quite beneficial to have that work experience, and couldn't imagine graduating without having held a job before. I imagine it depends on your course though, in regards to how many hours you're in during the week. But I would have thought weekends could definitely be worked.

Yes, I imagine rent prices are a massive factor now. Which is such a shame. University halls too, given they are all very swanky. I was lucky enough mine was quite run down so the price wasn't extortionate, but the university now has very fancy modern buildings alongside private halls throughout the city. I probably would have struggled to pay for those if I had to at the time!

I don't know anyone who is planning, or would be able, to cover all over their children's university costs. We were going to make up the difference between what our son gets for his maintenance loan (minimum, because of what we earn) and the maximum, but have ended up paying his accommodation instead. Also saving up to top up our daughter when it's her turn too. Tuition is completely covered for everyone by loans (well, as long as it's their first degree course)

Parents were expected to pay a parental contribution when I went in the 90's. Just like now maintenance was means tested, I got all but £200 but some friends got no maintenance grant at all. I can't speak for earlier than then

We felt it was more useful to help them out with house deposits, which we have done.

Those who's own parents either couldn't or wouldn't help often resent young people who get help from parents. It's the same old argument as for house deposits.
We could help and we did. My DC never had to work in term time, they often worked in holidays, really just to get experience of work.
It has not made them lazy or feckless as some imply. They are both hard working in successful careers now.
My feeling is that they'll be working for 45 years and if I can afford to make their student years easier I will.

I agree with YourLittleSecret
If they were feckless, rude, lazy etc then they could paddle their own canoe but otherwise I'm happy to help. They've got many years of work ahead of them.

We have encouraged our children to live with us and go to uni from here to save on accommodation and lodging costs. We are lucky to have a fairly decent uni on the doorstep.

One of ours decided to go further afield, that is their right. But what we didn't do is stump up the extortionate accommodations costs in the chosen city.

That was their choice and they have worked to fund it. We have contributed, but with three at university our financing them is limited.

The one who moved cities is cross as I think he had an expectation that parents would just keep paying out.

It's just how it is. We have four children so whatever we have is divided by four. My friend has 1 child and is able to contribute four times what we can.

Our income means our children get minimum maintenance loans, but only just, we top up by 1/4 of the suggested amount. As we have four to top up.

I worked for a few years before being able to afford to go to university. There's no way my parents could contribute.

Taking a few years to work up money to go through university doesn't seem to be the way now. They just seem to expect to go and study and the parents will be able to pay.

They are all doing paid placement years so it's helped finances a bit.

I certainly don't resent anyone who has parents able to help, it's no skin off my nose. I know for a fact if I'd asked my parents they would have made it work. I just never thought to have the conversation to be honest. They helped in many other ways, just not monetary. And like all my friends, I got a job at 16 because I wanted one, and just kept it on during University. Never entered my head not to have one, I enjoyed it and loved the socialising.

I think I'm of the same thinking of PP, if I can help I'd prefer to help with a house deposit. I guess I just don't see the debt of student loans being that detrimental, it wasn't for me. My husband has paid his off, and mine should be paid in the next 5 years or so. I've never really noticed it coming out of my wage to be honest, it just has always come out so I don't think much of it. I'll notice once it's gone thought I'm sure which will be lovely! All being well, my husband and I will be in fortunate positions financially in that we will be able to support alongside a loan, and to be honest if our salaries continue the way they are, we could save and help towards fees too. But I just don't see covering the fees as a necessity. I'd rather money was there to help get them on the property ladder when they're in that position.

@toooldtocarewhoknows yes that's similar to how it was in my family. I am the oldest of 5 children, and if my parents had of forked out for me to go to University, then they'd have had to do the same for my sister the year later, and my brother the year after that etc. Just would not be possible. We had a comfortable lifestyle growing up, but in my eyes it was my choice to go to University and therefore no one else's responsibility.

In saying that, as I said, I went to University close to home, and although I lived in halls and then private accommodation, I still was heavily reliant on home comforts every weekend when I went back. I think I'd quite like my kids to go a bit further afield and experience that extra bit of independence. I will maybe change my mind on that when she's older and I want her close by!!!

I have one DC in university and another will go in September. I've made no financial contribution, apart from the odd start of term grocery shop. They also come home in the holidays obviously.

We're in Wales where everyone gets £9k maintenance, it is means tested so the lower the household income the larger the ratio of grant to loan, but everyone gets the same overall amount and at least £1k is grant. They've worked during the holidays to make a bit of extra money, but not during term time. DC1 also received bursaries for sitting entrance exams, so that has helped.

It's insanely rare for parents to pay the full costs. The vast majority do pay the difference between the maintenance loan their child gets and the maximum.

I just struggle to see how many families can afford to do this.

Being eligible for the lowest loan, does not automatically mean your parents are in anyway financially able to support. Especially these days, with living costs rising.

It's scary to think that this may effect people going to University. I hope it doesn't, but I'm sure it's a big stress for a lot of families to have this expectation over their heads.

I think it's important to make a distinction between paying for fees and helping out with living costs. I don't know anyone who's paying for fees but plenty who are topping up the maintenance loan.

There's no way dh and I could hope to meet fees x 2 for our kids. They will get minimum maintenance loans so we'll be topping that up to the expected amount plus extras like paying for phone.

My DC did courses that made working alongside impossible. We paid their living in full they got a loan for the fees.

Yes perhaps where I'm seeing people saying they're covering costs, then I'm assuming everything but they just mean maintenance.

Also I didn't go to University in England. So it is perhaps geographical too. But definitely where I went to University, it was never mentioned that parents topped up to a certain level. You had your loan, and you had your pay from your PT job. And whatever food you managed to steal from home that weekend!! It's interesting to hear so many don't work during term time, this is definitely a change from what my friends and I experienced. But again, perhaps because we were closer to home and the jobs we held at school so it was just easier to keep these than say move to a new city and try to find something.

Not being in England probably makes a difference. Don't know if you're in the UK or not but in England parents are explicitly told to top up the maintenance loan with the amount being determined by means test.

Yes still in the UK. I wonder if it was the same here when I applied, and I just never noticed. I did all the loan applications myself and just don't remember ever saying anything like that written anywhere.

It's scary to think that this may effect people going to University. I hope it doesn't, but I'm sure it's a big stress for a lot of families to have this expectation over their heads.

There is no indication that it puts people off - far from it. More 'middle' class students go every year.

The system of parental contribution is nothing new btw - parents have always been expected to pay if their income was high enough. Anyone remember deeds of covenant?!

Agreed. I started Uni in 1990 and my parents were means tested for my grant.

I guess I just seen it as on paper my parents could, but in reality they couldn't. And that was just that. I was the first generation to go to University in our family, so I guess it wasn't just assumed my siblings and I would go anyway, so it wasn't factored in. Not that they could have saved every month anyway when trying to keep 5 kids fed and watered!

But we'll be saving for our daughter anyway, and I wouldn't withhold the funds if she then wanted to use it for University. I'd probably prefer to help with a house deposit, but ultimately if the money is for her it's up to her what she wants it for.

I was first generation Uni too. I'm lucky enough to be an only child of parents on a low income so I got the full grant but they helped me out a bit too!