DD been offered a place at Chichester, I need general advice please!

[triplets]

Hi..........as said she has been offered a place for Sept, doing 3 yr extended diploma in Fine Art. Having never put a child through Uni I am finding it all confusing! I have 3 eighteen yr olds and am struggling to keep up with them and what they are all doing, it all seems to be happening at once! So being very much older parents, I am 63 I have one ds who graduated form Harrogate Army College last week, so he`s now in the Army for 4 years at least, my other ds passed an interview last week for the Royal Marines Band Service, next step is a medical, and my dd as said hopes to go to Uni in Sept. So I need to be concentrating on her atm. So I understand I have to apply for a student loan, £9k a year and its a 3 yr course. A maintenance loan for living costs based on our income? We live in Kent nr Dover so she will live in halls. Looking at the cost of accommodation, average £120 a week can they live on the maintenance loan alone or are we expected to support them? Our income before tax is £26k a year, pensions! Does she have to take everything and the kitchen sink with her........if so I had better start now! She has been offered a place, has chosen the uni now as her first choice, what is the next step? I am trying to deal with all this, plus her brothers without worrying her Dad, he is currently in remission for advanced cancer but has also now been diagnosed with Parkinsons, so life is a bit tough! Any stress makes his condition worse. So I would be very grateful for any advice you much wiser ones can give me please1 TIA x

Hi, our eldest is also hoping to go to university in September. It's scary isn't it? Your dd is the one who needs to apply for the student loan as it will be her loan and her debt, but don't let that worry you too much as it is only paid back at 9% of earnings above £21k I think, so it's a bit like another national insurance payment. There's a student loan calculator online which will tell you how much of a maintenence loan your dd will be entitled to. I think the maximum is about £8k per year and the minimum £3.5k so we are reckoning that ds will need any shortfall either from parental contribution or frim getting a job.
We are also wondering how much stuff ds needs to take with him. Has your dd been invited to an offer holder day? We are currently trying to encourage ds to go to his, to try and find out what he needs to take by speaking to current students.

Hi Sue.........no she hasn't mentioned that, will ask her to find out. Yes it does seem daunting doesn't it. I assume the accommodation cost covers just that, I know she wants to go self catering, but do you know if they pay for things like heating/electricity etc on top?

So I understand I have to apply for a student loan,
No, she does - it's taken out in her name, though you do have to provide your income details

£9k a year and its a 3 yr course. A maintenance loan for living costs based on our income? We live in Kent nr Dover so she will live in halls. Looking at the cost of accommodation, average £120 a week can they live on the maintenance loan alone or are we expected to support them?
Have a look at the student finance calculator to see what she's eligible for from the government, and also check out Chichester's website - it looks like she'll be eligible for a bursary www.chi.ac.uk/study-us-0/fees-finance/our-financial-support-package You'll be expected to make up any shortfall in her living expenses, but at £26k you're at/near the bottom threshold anyway, so that won't be an enormous amount, if any

Our income before tax is £26k a year, pensions! Does she have to take everything and the kitchen sink with her........if so I had better start now!
The furniture and kitchen electricals will be provided, bedding rarely is, pots and pans almost never are. There will be a trip to Ikea nearer the time, inevitably! She should check with her halls (once allocated) to see what's provided.

She has been offered a place, has chosen the uni now as her first choice, what is the next step?
Has she
a) applied for accommodation (at her firm, and her insurance if they will let her - it varies from uni to uni)
b) applied for student finance
yet? Those are the two main things.

I am trying to deal with all this, plus her brothers without worrying her Dad, he is currently in remission for advanced cancer but has also now been diagnosed with Parkinsons, so life is a bit tough! Any stress makes his condition worse. So I would be very grateful for any advice you much wiser ones can give me please1 TIA x
Sounds like you've had a bit of a rough time lately! Glad I could help, and it's also probably worth having a look at The Student Room - they've got a lot of useful resources for students and parents.

Hi Sue.........no she hasn't mentioned that, will ask her to find out. Yes it does seem daunting doesn't it. I assume the accommodation cost covers just that, I know she wants to go self catering, but do you know if they pay for things like heating/electricity etc on top?
Gas, electricity and internet will be included in the hall fees. The accommodation cost covers the rent, bills, use of furniture, pastoral care, any social activities put on in halls, 24/7 security coverage etc. but they will still be expected to provide personal items. They'll need them anyway when they move into a shared house in second and third year

Thank you so much rightsaidfred lots of questions answered........bit confused what you meant by "at her firm, and her insurance if they will let her". So she needs now to apply for the finance and for the accommodation, all done online I take it?

So they can only live in halls for the first year?

Another one here going off in September.

My DS says that student finance is now open for applications so we will be on to that this weekend. From what I understand it's best to do it as soon as possible in case there are problems.

Does you DD know if she can apply now for accommodation or not. My DS can't apply until 1 April but someone else on here has been able to at their first choice now.

There are threads on here about what to take and what not to. Apparently the DC will be told what is included but I presume this is not until accommodation is allocated. I have bought DS a new double duvet (wants a double even if bed is single) but can't buy sheets as he could have a single bed or 3/4 width and allocation is not made until September. Towels, bedding, pots, pans, plates etc will be needed. I have bought a few bits in the sales and there will be car boots. Will you be taking DD in September? I have taken the attitude that if we have forgotten anything when we get there we can go to Argos or such like to get anything.

There are threads on here about what to take and what not to.

If she is due to go on an offer holder day could you go with her? I went with my DS and most had parents with them. If you have not visited yet it might help you by hearing things first hand and no harm in you asking questions

Probably haven't really added anything that hasn't already been said. It's all very strange.

Well done to your DSs. They are doing well.

Normally in halls for the first year and then they rent privately after that. They will normally be sorting that out before the end of their first year.

Finance and accommodation both done online.

at her firm, and her insurance if they will let her I imagine some universities will let you apply for accommodation even if theirs is your DD's insurance chocie. Others won't

Sorry, yes, her firm will definitely let her apply for accommodation.

Different unis have different policies regarding accommodation applications from insurance candidates. Some will let them apply and guarantee a place, some will let them apply but not guarantee a place, and others know full well they won't have any space for insurance applicants, so they don't even let them apply. Don't let her wait until results day to look at applying for insurance accommodation - by then it's often too late.

Universities (do check Chichester's policy - it can vary) will typically guarantee a place in halls for first year, but have very few places for second/third years who want to live there. However, by second year they will typically have found a group of friends and want to move into a shared house anyway.

Student finance should be applied for as soon as you can - they are not the best run organisation, and have a tendency to lose vital bits of paperwork, so it's best to do it sooner rather than later.

Another question when applying for loan and we give our income do we give gross or net?

Gross - though when calculating your residual income they will discount any pension contributions, and knock a bit off for any other kids living at home