Are any grants available if parents can't help?

[Yourownpersonaljesus]

My DD is of to uni in September. Her maintainance loan will pay for her accomodation and she will have a very small amount left over for living expenses. She does plan on getting a job too. She is really worried that she still won't have enough to live on. I am unable to help her out financially. I know it's expected that parents make up the shortfall but I really can't afford to as I struggle to get by as it is. My pay is okay but my rent takes up a huge chunk of it. I was wondering if universities gave out grants if students are struggling.

Thanks pineapple I hope that's the case. I keep telling her that others will be in the same situation but I'm sure she doesn't believe me as her friends come from pretty affluent families.
I also went to uni as a mature student. Good luck with your degree.

It's really tough trying to find the balance between helping your adult student child and letting them balance their own money.

My DS has just finished Y2 of a 4 year course. He only gets the minimum loan as our household earns too much ? Our household being me and his stepdad. His own dad earns much less so if he had declared his dad's address as being his main residence he could have borrowed much more maintenance loan. But then would have had even more of a debt at the end. There's no winning route.

DS lived in halls the first year. The loan covered his rent (which also included all bills, wifi etc). All he had to buy was food and general living costs. He lived on campus so no need to travel into town unless for socialising. I gave him some money each month as did his dad.

The second year I reduced my payments a little as he had more than enough to live on. I thought if I kept reducing it a bit he may be inclined to get a job. . But no.

Hoping he is going to do a few weeks over the summer to at least get some money behind him for the next year.

The system isn't very fair. It should not be down to the parents to fund adult students. Like you, OP - you may earn what some would consider sufficient, but if you live in an expensive area then your outgoings will be a lot higher too.

All I can suggest is for your DD to reallylook into what each university can offer. There are a few bursaries around.

Even though 'her' supermarket isn't in her uni town - she is in a good position due to her previous experience to get a student job at a local one. Even a few hours per week will help out.

Does your DD realise that you actually can't fund her? Or does she just think that you'll magic up some money each month for her spends?

There is time for her to get in a load of overtime at work before Uni starts - maybe that's the path she needs to go down for now - and to rein in her spending.

Fingers crossed it all gets sorted out - and DD gets off to Uni.

Thanks lego. She does realise that I can't help her but I'm sure she also thinks the money will magically appear! She has emailed her university today so hopefully will get a reply. Her problem is that she expects to do the same things she is doing now. She is going to have a big reality check when (if?) she gets there. I just really don't want her to change her mind about going because of finances.

It may be that some of the other students in her halls/group of friends don't have tons of money to fritter away too though. Most of DS' uni friends don't tend to go out having wild nights as they can't afford to. They'll hang out together doing something cheaper.

it's all a big learning experience - in academia and life.

Apology aside, @Bubbles, I couldn’t even be bothered to read most of your faux sob story about how ‘truly difficult’ your life was growing up, because you’ve been so incredibly unkind and rude to the poor OP.

Get off your high horse and find somewhere else to drivel.

OP, no real advice that hasn’t already been articulated here from more well-meaning, and less snobbish patrons. But I did want to mention to you that my DB also took a couple of years as gap years in order to ‘save’ for a costly venture such as uni. His dad also was not on the scene. And he not only didn’t save, he actually didn’t even bother to work. Unfortunately, my mother had to teach him a very hard lesson about getting oneself out of financial bother when she literally could not afford to bail him out, late in his second year. He stated before that time that he ‘didn’t think working was for me’!

Of my mothers 4 other children, he is the only one who has not paid for his own education. He had to fail a course and go back before he realised that mummy doesn’t have endless money. But he survived. Somehow. Getting him to leave uni and work a real job though...that’s the next chapter! 😂

Sometimes, as a parent, you just have to let what happens, happen. She can always come home if you maintain a home for her, so she’ll never be completely without. She’ll no doubt make you extremely proud 😊

Thanks Sessy.

Jobs that people had at uni that worked really well - bar/waiting jobs as you are earning not spending every evening! I worked in a newsagents every lunch time and loved it and a library - could study loads between checking books in and out. Good luck to her!

Thank you Bobby.

If no luck with other enquiries, could she transfer to a course local to home so that you can support her living at home with minimal financial cost and she can spend the maintenance grant on travel to uni. Not ideal of course but better than not doing uni.

I not long left Uni in a similar financial situation- £1000 left of loan after rent was paid. There were about 33 weeks of term time, so it worked out about £30 a week to live off in term time. I got a £2000 overdraft which I broke down into £60 a week for my 30 weeks, which meant I had £90 a week to live off, even if I didn't get a job, which would be plenty. In the end, I got a weekend/evening job and got about £100 a week, and was totally fine. Worked through the summer and every holiday and saved. It's doable.

Tell her to keep an eye out for any jobs at uni too. Mine had jobs going for library staff and also student ambassadors which were paid roles. A friend of mine on my course has no financial support from family and she got a job at Wetherspoons which pays above NMW and is really flexible with what shifts she picks up, and she's managing fine. Might be worth looking at for your dd.

Further to my suggestion to look at bursaries, these are available up to parents income of about £40k per year.

Also, when my ds goes to university this year he will apply to be a student ambassador. You get paid to do the Open Day and outreach events. Could she look into that?

Tell her to keep an eye out for any jobs at uni too.

Excellent idea. 'SU rates' at DS1's university compare very favourably with those available outside. Obviously, some jobs are more suitable than others for first years (no good trying to sign up to lead abort tours if you are still struggling to find your own way from halls to library, for a start).

They do change such a lot over the first year and realising you have to fund yourself is a massively important life lesson - there will be lots of other students who do have to work and manage to have a brilliant time!

Thanks so much for the suggestions and positive messages.

Small money saving tip. Research journeys home and fares. DD now often takes a coach rather than the train as it is a lot cheaper and only takes an hour more. She also discovered that there are two train routes/operators to her university. One is slower but cheaper, but can be faster at weekends if the other has engineering works. Look at off-peak fares, railcards and occassional offers. It appears that plenty simply show up at the station and buy a full priced fare.

It sounds as if you and your DD can not afford to live apart. Can you not move to her student town with her?

My DS says that most of his mates get their student loans into their accounts and they feel rich for a day.

The next day the uni takes their accommodation costs by DD and then many of them are into their overdrafts.

Her leftover from her loan will equate to about £40 a week. TBH, I think this is manageable for her food. My kids have never spent anywhere near that (ie they went home for lunch or took a package lunch, shopped in Aldi/Lidl, and ate leftovers. They also made good use of Christian Union and their local church).

Have a look at the specific university website to see what financial assistance they can offer. Many universities can offer hardship loans. General advice and assumptions are not helpful.

Does she have savings from her gap year? If not, does she need help with budgeting?

Thanks for the replies.
Will get her to check out alternative ways to travel. She has a railcard which is invaluable.
Unfortunately I can't move to her university town because of my job. I'll be able to manage financially without her here (smaller bills etc) I just won't have any spare money.
I think she will learn to be frugal. I'm teaching her to make cheap healthy meals. Yesterday she learnt how to make chickpea and spinach curry!

There’s some really horrible replies on here. Why people feel the need to stick the boot in is beyond me.

When DS2 went to uni his bursary didn’t cover his rent. He got a tiny loan on top which help but we had to pay for all of his food, everything he needed for his course and any clothes. He got a job within 3 weeks (he leaves on Friday) despite being a student nurse and having all his placement hours to do. There wasn’t a choice really and I can honestly say I don’t know anyone who has worked as hard as him these past 3 years.

My MIL couldn’t understand why he was working because DN didn’t have to even though SIL is a lone parent on a low income. She still doesn’t get it.

It will be ok OP. The vast majority of DS2’s friends work. In his job in a well known pub chain they’ve taken on loads of students and they’re not a bad employer either. Good luck to your DD. 💐

CatLady that's what I'm afraid of!
TheFairyCaravan thank you.

CatLady that's what I'm afraid of!
But everybody is in the same boat and they learn to manage accordingly.

She will miss one of life's lessons if you don't allow her to experience uni life and the hardships that come at the end of each term because she spent too much money in the first few weeks of term.

They should give you a payment plan so you know when the DD is due on the halls.

Amazingly, at Edinburgh, they took the first payment one month after starting, and didn’t take any deposit.

A weird thing about the Student Loan Company, is that they disburse the loan in three equal installments, at the beginning of each term.

DD’s university has two long semesters followed by a couple of weeks of exams after Easter. This meant that two of her installments of c14 weeks, and the third one for just 2 weeks. Most of the costs are in the first couple of weeks (bedding, books...).