Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

How much living allowance?

66 replies

Jessesbitch · 18/07/2016 16:36

No student loan. Paying for Halls, fees etc. Halls include all bills.

How much should I give DS per week for food, social, train etc.

OP posts:

AndNowItsSeven · 18/07/2016 16:40

Nothing , let him get a loan and save the money you would have given him towards a house deposit.

VimFuego101 · 18/07/2016 16:41

I agree, a loan and a job is probably better. Check out the MoneySavingExpert site, it explains why it's better to take student loans than to give actual cash. Save the money for later.

titchy · 18/07/2016 16:58

How much to budget for day to day living is a reasonable question thigh, regardless of whether the source of income is a loan or parental contribution...

We're intending to give around £150 a month excluding food and halls. That's on the basis that they earn in the holidays and can top up if they are frivolous.

titchy · 18/07/2016 16:59

£30 a week on food, washing powder seems ok to me.

goinggetstough · 18/07/2016 17:28

We did £50 per week. That covered train fares home at the end term etc. Remember it is great for your DC to have a job too but in some areas this is very hard.

Original poster

Jessesbitch · 18/07/2016 17:39

He can't get a loan for the course he is doing.

He has a job now but he will not have time when he starts. He is working 40/week now so he doesn't need that life lesson.

OP posts:

senua · 18/07/2016 17:57

How about the life lesson that he works out his own budget - why are you doing this for him?

blueskyinmarch · 18/07/2016 18:00

Jeez people are so arsey around here at the moment.

OP your question is relevant.

I have DD2 going off to uni soon and is applying for catered halls. DD2 got £75 per week to cater for herself. I am thinking £50 a week for DD2 to cover books, socialising, toiletries etc.

Original poster

Jessesbitch · 18/07/2016 18:22

Thanks! We were thinking £10/day.
He received a reading list already so we have already bought the books. Coming home on the train will be about £30/return.

OP posts:

blueskyinmarch · 18/07/2016 18:40

Surely he will only need the train fare at the end of term? Or maybe to visit half way through?

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 18/07/2016 18:41

We pay DSes accommodation (£420 PM).

He does have the loan which covers everything, which is just over £1000 a term, I think. Is that helpful.

Decorhate · 18/07/2016 18:43

OP, my Dd was in catered halls last year & £70 per week for everything else (regardless of source) was about right.

blueskyinmarch · 18/07/2016 18:50

I may need to rethink what I give my DD. Looks like she might need £70 per week!

titchy · 18/07/2016 20:17

£70 a week

That's a lot of beer.... What did the rest go on?

Decorhate · 18/07/2016 20:31

Ingredients for packed lunches, the odd weekend meal (most halls reduce the number of meals provided at weekends), bus fares, nights out, train/bus fares to visit friends at other unis, clothes, makeup. She did have money left from her loan at the end of the spring & summer terms as they are shorter.

serin · 18/07/2016 20:37

We give DD £75 a week to cover food, socialising, gym, travel, she manages fine on this. Everyone in her flat seems to have a similar amount.

We want her to have a decent time, to have enough to get by without having to worry about part time work (she waitressed at sixth form but there is very little casual work in the area she is studying in).

DH survived whilst doing his PhD by stealing cabbages and potatoes from fields. I was spoiled with a full grant.

voilets · 18/07/2016 20:40

we did £70 a week and he had plenty left over. Had some money from working though before he went. He was also in catered for week days.

We wanted him not to worry about money at a stressful time of resettling. He did not take advantage of that.

BackforGood · 18/07/2016 21:01

This is another of those 'how long is a piece of string' questions.

We have given ds £35 per week (non catered). His loan covers his rent. He works in the holidays to pay for extras he wants.
If he comes home he jses the megabus - darn sight cheaper than the train even thougn it takes longer

TinklyLittleLaugh · 18/07/2016 21:07

Mine get the minimum loan (about £3800 I think) and we give them another £4500. So they get just over £8k. Halls or other accommodation seems to take up at least half of that. Both have casual jobs that they pick up when workload allows (bar agency type stuff) and they work a bit in the holidays.

mortil2 · 18/07/2016 21:07

My son is off to university in September. He will be in halls (not catered ). We are planning to give him £75 per week

CatNip2 · 18/07/2016 21:13

Gave my son 30 per week for food, his loan which was the minimum just covered his rent in the NE. He worked 11 hours a week to pay for his social life and transport.

He never took out an over draft. I give DD the same for food but have to top up her rent as the loan isn't enough and give her spends as she is a student nurse spending 50% of her time on placement and working shifts, she can't hold down a job as well, her placement is her job, despite being unpaid. If she wasn't on a healthcare course she would definitely be doing a part time job for her personal spends.

bojorojo · 18/07/2016 21:14

I will not say how much we gave our DDs but a lot more than anyone here. However, some girls cost more than boys. Clothes for a start. They tend to socialise in cafes and restaurants more and get taxis for safety after a night out. Makeup and toiletteries cost more - girls use more! They had loans but if the course does not qualify I think you still do what we did - start at zero and work upwards being honest and realistic about what your DS will want. I assume you and he can work out what is realistic depending on whether he is frugal, likes to socialise, food costs and whether you are including clothes and fares and the likely costs of course materials etc.etc. erc. Some courses have very high materials costs and some have very high book costs. Just be realistic.

BackforGood · 18/07/2016 21:21

Not my experience bororojo
Before deciding what to give ds, I asked my 2 nieces. Both, independently said they could cook for themsleves, for under £20, but the boys they flat shared with tended to eat more so needed more money.
They tend to all walk together to stay safe rather than getting taxis.
Not all dds are obsessed with buying clothes and make up.
Have to disagree about socialising in cafes more, too. Both sexes socialise. Both eat out sometimes. Both need the same amount to socialise. Both have to learn to cut their cloth to suit.
I certainly won't be giving dd more than ds (poss a tiny bit to allow for inflation)

hellsbells99 · 19/07/2016 07:30

DD had £350 per month last year (so about £80 per week) term time only. She was in self catered halls. She didn't work during during time as her course was intensive. She is working now to build more funds up and pay for a holiday.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 19/07/2016 09:27

Well we could afford to give the DCs more, as much as they wanted basically. But we tried to base it on the maximum loan/grant. We wanted them to be on the same sort of financial footing as other students, and to work for the "extras".

I don't think it does young adults much good for the bank of Mum and Dad to be funding a luxury student lifestyle.

Flip

1 2 3