Does it cost parents a lot if child goes to uni?

[fessmess]

Obviously I know they can get a student loan but does this cover everything? My dd is 16 so just thinking of what lies ahead. I want to do a course myself but will have to self-fund by remortgaging house. Am u setting myself up for future of debt?

No-one pays for my children but me.
Not everyone with an income of 25k has "quality family time by choosing not to work". In fact most families with 25k or less actually work.
I work 45 hours a week. Single parent, not by choice but he abandoned us. I earn an average 11 pounds an hour. That is 25k gross per annum. I have ZERO quality time and I don't receive state benefits or sit on my backside.
I pay 2k in national insurance and 2.8k in income tax. I am not a scrounger. Like many single parents (not by choice) I work bloody hard and resent any insinuation that I am a scrounger.

So next year, I have a little more income. My income will rise to 35k gross. For the privilege of an extra 10k gross, I will have to contribute £1178 X 2 towards the living costs of 2 adult children and I will not begrudge them that money, a whole £22.65 per week. I would be ashamed of myself if I did not contribute. That is 3.3% of my gross income each child. I contend that is a just amount to expect a parent on 35k gross to contribute. I do not understand any parent with an income in excess of 25k showing jealousy towards the students who come from backgrounds where parents' annual gross income is less than 25k. I've live a life of 60k gross and then 15k gross, rising to 25 and soon 35k gross. The life and 15k gross sucked, the 25k gross sucked even more, zero quality time and struggling, at least with a rise of income I have zero quality time still be a bit more ability to pay for food.

If anyone is jealous of a parent working 45 hours a week earning £11 an hour (actually semi-decent but I'm a civil servant on top salary), then please come and swap lives with me. And if anyone is jealous of the parent who chooses not to work and live on benefits, go do the same, give up your job and join them!!!! But don't complain. Pay your parental contribution and feel grateful you are well off enough to be able to pay it.

BTW my children all share bedrooms.
I rarely get to see my children for more than a few hours a day, so my kids have NO parent at home with them a considerable amount of time.
My kids don't get to have 2 parents.
I have outgoings too you know, it's not the privilege of those over 25k. I have rent to pay, electricity, gas and water. No clothes as I cannot afford any. No holidays either. No going out. No family time whatsoever, unless you count 8 hours a night when we're sleeping as family time.
And I earn 25k per year. I really do not see why I am looked down upon and my kids' are though of as "being lucky" that mum is on a low income and they don't see much of her!!! My children are not lucky, except that they get a full grant this year, in the bigger picture of the lives they are forced to live, it's not much really.

Not everyone on 25k or less has an easy life.
Same for everyone over 25k.
The only difference is that those over 25k have more bloody money to share around.

DDs halls in central London are £235 per week on campus (that's the cheapest) so her loan doesn't cover even that. Only 51 weeks contracts are available.

Yes, she could have got accommodation further away, but the travel costs would have negated any benefit. She will happily work to supplement her income. She doesn't know anyone who hasn't/doesn't plan to work part time through uni so that they can go out.

I will supplement her a little, as will her father, but it won't be more than £3.5k per year between us. We simply don't have the money.

life (we still haven't sorted out that coffee!), I think choosing not to take the loans is a personal thing. I don't see the point of paying interest on a loan where we can afford to help out, hence no loans, but as you know, we only have the one. It would be different if we had more. Plus, dh's employer defrays some of the cost.

I could give him less allowance, but any job would have to be term time only, and you know how difficult it is for students to work here, even though the rules are changing from January.

Hi Scary, just busy with my "idyllic and fun life" as a single parent on -25k income that's all, having just finished 50 hours of work and 10 hours to get there in the past 4 days and that's all I've done in the past 3 years!!!

I would absolutely love a coffee right now! Will happen when I get a break.

Hi Life....Will it be easier to meet when term starts? I bet the motorway has been horrendous recently.

I got a plan to avoid the motorway next week, motorway has been very variable, yesterday I did a scenic detour to get home, Dunkerque is surprisingly pleasant!

Dh was going to Germany today - he left at 0530 as it is the start of the summer getaway, or changeover day. He didn't fancy being stuck on the motorway for hours.