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Higher education

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

Original poster

Applying for Uni 2019 Part 5: UCAS, offers and exam season looming

992 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 19/03/2019 13:09

New thread started. Here's the previous one

OP posts:
FrameyMcFrame · 13/04/2019 18:17

Shimy,Grin

Itscoldouthere · 13/04/2019 19:09

That’s good to hear fazackerley we go to Bath next Wednesday, I think DS is really keen but the AAB offer may just put him off 😜

ZandathePanda · 14/04/2019 10:54

Student Finance question: is the general consensus (based usually on Martin Lewis) that you should take the maximum loans you are allowed to claim. We have savings that could be used to eliminate the maintenance loan and just leave Dd with the tuition fees to pay off. The only disadvantage I suppose is if she applies for a mortgage and they do take into account student loans on repayments (but then we could give her a bigger deposit).

VanCleefArpels · 14/04/2019 13:26

Loan repayments only relevant to affordability when applying for a mortgage ie they will look at income net of all deductions including loan payments. It’s not treated as a “debt” as such - much better to treat it as an additional tax.

With interest rates at 6% from day one (and who knows what in the future) if you can possibly avoid taking out finance I would.

Piggywaspushed · 14/04/2019 14:19

I have just done a bit of faffing on Unistats to compare NTU and Lincoln on the course my DS is doing. Both unis are in the 'firing line ' for UiFs (One offered my DS a UiF, the other BCC). Of the two, Lincoln has much lower drop out rate in the period 2017 - 2017 (5% as opposed to 20%!) and has a higher profile of UCAS points (the largest % is at/ around their offer but they have a good 30% above against NTU with 21% of the intake at only 86-95 pts and very few above). Obviously, this is a snapshot but it would be interesting to see if either of those thigns change for Lincoln in the enxt couple of years : otherwise I am sure they would argue they have it right for their institution). Makes me happy, anyway, that we plumped for Lincoln over NTU! Might also explain why NTU have not been offering UiFs for that course this year!

Piggywaspushed · 14/04/2019 14:30

To clarify, I meantmakes me happy we chose Lincoln over NTU for my DS's course , in case anyone thinks I am having a dig at NTU. Would have posted on another thread if I had intended to set cats among pigeons since Lincoln is a bad word on that thread!

Fazackerley · 14/04/2019 15:22

All registered for accommodation but it's very civilised and doesn't open until 9 May and is deffo not first come first served

ZandathePanda · 14/04/2019 20:47

VanCleef but I thought the consensus was the loan will be unlikely to be paid back unless you have a pretty high income and wiped out by 50?

VanCleefArpels · 15/04/2019 07:34

zandathepanda you’re right the repayments only kick in over a certain threshold (movable- who knows where that will go) and that repayments are the same however much is “borrowed”. So yes some may not pay it back at all or in full depending on lifetime income. I’m on sure what your point is though. The issue is whether, if parents are able, they should pay “maintenance” to their child or have them take out a loan. As I said my personal preference is not to take a loan where interest rates and threshold for repayments are inherently uncertain.

ZandathePanda · 15/04/2019 10:23

Thanks. ‘Martin Lewis’ blog is firmly under the opinion of taking as much as you can. However, like you, I am wary of conditions varying during the term. There are so many variables even without Brexit stuff, who knows what will happen before Dd is 50 (!)

ifonly4 · 15/04/2019 11:23

Glad to hear we've got another couple of decisions on here.

Revision started off well and she has been doing some, but not getting very far today. She was just about to get dressed at 10am and then a clothes order arrived. I also said I've treat her at our local cafe today for a break.

VanCleefArpels · 15/04/2019 11:30

zanda we have entirely self paid for DS and will do again for DD, mostly because we are able and don’t think it’s right to use taxpayer money when we can easily afford it (it’s cheaper than school fees!!) and to allow them to graduate with no “debt” (although it’s not a debt!!). However I know we are fabulously lucky to be able to do that

Itscoldouthere · 15/04/2019 12:01

Can I just ask, does need to confirm his choices by 1st May?
This is fine for DS2 as he can make his final choice after his Bath visit this week.
DS1 who only did his UCAS application 2 weeks ago has applied to 2 unis fr arts courses, one has asked for an online portfolio, not heard from the other yet. He’s pulling together a portfolio but as he’s new to his chosen subject it will take a few weeks, he planning to submit at the end of April, I don’t think he will have been given a offer/refusal by May 1st.
Any idea what happens if this is the case?
Should he speak to UCAS?

LIZS · 15/04/2019 12:05

If you have not received offers by end of March the deadline for accepting/declining is later.

justasking111 · 15/04/2019 12:54

DS is back at school the Art department and science department have opened back up for GCSE and A Level students Monday to Thursday. So no revision worries until next week.

justasking111 · 15/04/2019 12:57

We are self paying Vancleef. now that the loans are being sold on by the government by private companies we are a bit leery of what the future holds for our DS. Unlike you we will be more out of pocket our DS was a day boy. Our other two DC`s went when tuition was 3k, ah those were the days Grin

Itscoldouthere · 15/04/2019 14:08

LIZS thank you I knew you wise women would know the answer.
DS1 doing this late application has slightly thrown me 🤪

VanCleefArpels · 15/04/2019 14:55

justasking our two day pupils too but at around the £8k each per term mark, £9250 a year seems like a veritable bargain! Luckily they don’t overlap, older one very soon off the books!!

justasking111 · 15/04/2019 15:02

Ah Vancleef I was adding accommodation at 7k, then food etc. to the tuition therefore, sum needed annually, so reckoned around 20k per annum. Our termly fees are 6.5k. So you are saving money Grin what will you do with all that loot lol.

2BoysandaCairn · 15/04/2019 20:20

Sorry dont want to derail,
But if there are posters reading this, who like us used bog standard state comps, and unlike the likes VanCleefArpels and justasking111 and aren't therefore saving the odd £7500/term, please don't be put off using student finance. For both tutition and maintenance loans.

If your Dc is studying outside London and living away from home ( students in London get a high rate and students living at home a lower rate of maintenance loans) your child can claim either £6000 or £9250 for tutition and between £4168 and £8944 for maintenance loans.

These are loans not debts, yes they acrue interest, but ignore all that, please. Your child only ever starts paying back once they earn £25000. So if they start on £22000 they owe nothing.
Once you earn over £25000 you pay 9% of the difference between your salary and the £25000. So if earning £25500 your Dc will pay £45 back to SFE, at 50000 they will pay £2250.
Doesn't matter if the loan is for £45000 or £1000000 they will only pay back 9% of their earnings over £25000 it is really only a form of graduate tax. Then over for a maximum of 30 years.

Please listen to the likes of Martin Lewis and his excellence student finance specials, the government ministers and SFE, and not to the of the private school users.

Surely it would be better saying the £18464, 9250 + 8944, thats £55392 over a 3 year course and giving your Dc that as a desposit on a home, then saving them £2250 on £50000 salary, after all its only £188/month.

Sorry, but statements made about student debt and rich parents not wanting it should be kept of general uni threads, for poor and disadvantaged families it is a major off puter and myths spout by the likes of Vancleef and justasking111 are wrong, unfounded and should be called out.

I don't want kids like mine thinking it wrong to use student finance, there is enough hurdles for them to jump to get to university, without untrue ones been added.

ZandathePanda · 15/04/2019 21:10

2Boys Thank you for that. Lots to think about.

justasking111 · 15/04/2019 21:14

I never said it was wrong to use student finance, that would be like saying do not get a mortgage a new car on finance or whatever. What I am saying is that I am concerned by private companies taking over loans. Look what happened with leasehold new build houses when builders sold on the leases.

FrameyMcFrame · 15/04/2019 21:27

My Mum saved up some money to pay for DD's uni fees, I've told her to just keep hold of it for a rainy day. It's honestly better to use the student loans as Martin Lewis from money saving expert explains.

Also, I do think that even though the loans can be sold they are heavily protected by legislation and aren't really comparable builders selling leaseholds.

Fazackerley · 15/04/2019 22:26

I don't think vancleef etc are 'spouting myths'. It's just a different way of dealing with it. Both are fine depending on what you can afford and how you want to go about it.