How do student loans/maintenance loans work and what do they cover?

[Holidayshopping]

Are they means tested or does everyone get the same? Is it paid to them termly like the old maintenance grants were?

Does the maintenance one pretty much cover accommodation but not food?

Then the student loan covers tuition fees-is that right?

Any sort of indication of costs (thinking of a midlands university-eg Brum) would be so helpful if anyone doesn’t mind sharing for accommodation? PM would be fine!!

Calculator here, easy to use.
Eeek, DD is gonna cost us much money.

I went to a cheapo uni and looking at the calculations of maximum maintenance man, I'd go have WAY more now than I had 20 years ago. Allowing for inflation.

Max maintenance loan! Not man...

That calculator looks useful and shows that in addition to fees covered most student loans will give the student about £4k for their rent. A lot of them also work in university holidays and some in term time and some parents contribute too if they can.

My sons' halls of residence in Bristol last year both included 2 meals a day food in the rent and it was pretty good cooked food - breakfast if you were up in time for it and then most days your evening meal.. I don't agree most students don't eat the food by the way. It may depend on the university.

DD's loan would have covered her rent with a bit to spare in Sheffield, but doesn't even cover the rent in Bath, so it depends where you go

Does anyone have any experience of Thai universities and can tell me which areas might be a bit cheaper than others-that might sway our thinking! I’m presuming Bath is pricey from what you’ve just said!

Birmingham
Warwick
Cardiff
Southampton
Nottingham
Bristol
Bath
Loughborough

I’m sort of ruling the London ones out (Imperial, UCL and Kings) because I’m imagining the cost of living will be exorbitant?!

These universities, not Thai universities .

Holiday my dd is at Soton in Wessex Lane halls, she has en-suite and it's just short of £5.5k for her accomodation. She's happy there, rooms are basic and the kitchen has seen better days but it suffices. Her maintenance loan doesn't even cover her accomodation costs.
She's currently still flat hunting for next year but what she's looked at will be similar or slightly less in cost to being in halls.

Actually Oxbridge can turn out to be cheapest of all for those bright enough to get in as the terms are very short and you dont' pay rent in university holidays.
Apart from that it might be a shame to go to a cheaper one if people graduating from there earn less as you might be sactificing a life time of six figure earnings just for saving a bit more on rent over 3 years.

Birmingham can be very cheap
Warwick not cheap
Cardiff fairly good value
Southampton not cheap
Bristol can be expensive but not as expensive as Bath (most dear)
Loughborough & Nottingham = similar = relatively cheap

Do be aware when comparing rents in halls to private lets that halls include all bills including internet. Student lets (usually) don't. Private rented is usually still a bit cheaper, but when you factor in bills, the gap isn't always as big as it first appears.

Birmingham- Wide range of options to suit different budgets both with halls and I think in terms of student lets in the city. I imagine there will be lots of opportunities for part time work in the city.

Warwick- Halls to suit different budgets. Will have to live off campus in second year. A lot of students chose Leamington Spa, which isn't cheap, and they'll have the costs of getting to uni each day too. Coventry is a cheaper option for second year, but less fashionable. As it's a campus uni, finding part time work may be trickier.

Cardiff- Doesn't appear to have a really cheap option for halls, but some are more affordable than others. As I understand it, rents/CoL in the city are going up, so second/third year may be more expensive.

Southampton- I don't really have any experience of Southampton, sorry!

Nottingham- Again, I don't really have much experience.

Bristol- halls are reasonably priced (given the cost of rent in the city). Private rented in years 2/3 will be pricey. CoL in the city, even as a student is quite high IMO. BUT lots of part time jobs available in the city.

Bath- Again, they don't appear to have a really cheap option for halls (unless you are willing to share a room). Again, in second/third year CoL/rent will be quite high.

Loughborough- Again, I don't have that much experience of loughborough.

Hope this helps a bit!

DS is in en-suite self catered halls in Cardiff and rent is about £4650 for the year. You can get a smaller room and/or shared facilities for a bit less. It suits him fine and is about 8 minutes by bike from the main university buildings.

Do be aware when comparing rents in halls to private lets that halls include all bills including internet. Student lets (usually) don't.

I don't think that is true any longer.
I have one dc graduated, one currently at a (different) university, and nieces, nephews, godchildren etc all of similar age. They have all had 'all included' prices on their student houses in 2nd and 3rd years around different parts of the country, rather than a fixed rent then split bills on top.

DS1 has found Warwick very cheap. Some halls are basic but affordable and shared houses in Coventry are also good value. He has been paying bills/internet separately to rent but they have researched the best deals and have done well keeping costs down. His hall in first year was for 34 weeks only. He had to move his stuff out over Easter but it saved him 5 weeks rent.

@Notatallobvious, how do you get you DS's loan paid into your account? My understanding on SFE rules is that the student loan can only be paid into the student's own bank account. Or does your DS just 'bed and breakfast' it and pay it on to you? DD and I do this with the large proportion of her part time wages that is earmarked for her World Challenge payments.

Back, it must depend then. My twins in yar 2 at different rented houses in Bristol pay extra for bills - it seems to be about £44 a month per twin (one emails me when it comes in and I transfer him the money).

Marchingfrogs they are able to log into their loan account and change the bank details for payments. We did it that way as he was having to transfer it anyway...the rent goes out of our account every month now he is in a house (used to go in three chunks in halls)