How much will your DC have to live on per week in first year at university?

[Bouledeneige]

My DD is off in September to a vibrant northern city. We have applied for student finance for a tuition loan and the minimum maintenance grant because of our earnings. Her Dad and I (divorced) plan to split paying the self catering accommodation rent which also includes utilities and insurance but not food, and she will live on the maintenance grant - £4,168 (which over 52 weeks would be £80 per week though I would expect her to get work in holidays and possibly part time during the course). We also pay her mobile phone bill.

I have checked the Save the Student website which says all in the average student spends £770 per month but that includes rent and bills. When you subtract those that comes to about £82 a week for food, travel, social life, books etc.

What are you expecting your DC to live on per week after bill and rent?

My dd has become an excellent budgeter, we don't put money in her account regularly.
She worked the whole of last summer, doesn't work at uni because her workload is to great.
We buy lots of essential food from Aldi for her and she tops it up with fresh stuff.
She doesn't go out socialising all the time because she's of the opinion that she's at uni to get a professional degree and not to party all the time.
We pay her mobile bill, her ppc for all her meds, and give her money if we think she's struggling but she has managed with her minimum maintenance loan and the £4K she earned working last summer.

Dd gets the minimum maintenance grant which we top up by £800 a year for her Halls, also in a vibrant northern city. We give her £70 every Monday, pay for her phone and any materials she needs. When she comes home we’ll stop at the supermarket on the way back. She says this is fairly average. She’s chosen to stay in her Uni city over the summer and was surprised that we wouldn’t give her the same money, but we were trying to incentivise her to get a job, which she has now.

Rather annoyingly her house for next year has to be rented from June, so we’ll be paying for that as the loan doesn’t come through until October.

Rather annoyingly her house for next year has to be rented from June, so we’ll be paying for that as the loan doesn’t come through until October

I've heard a lot of my friends moaning about that recently as their kids are going into second year.

WhoEats yes we've got this issue. Dd has signed the lease but we're going to have to pay from July to September for the house because of the way it works. She needs to be working here so we're feeding her for the next three months rather than being able to take advantage of the house that we're paying for!

We paid accommodation & associated bills and termly bus pass, then paid £50 a week for food and other items (loo roll, bathroom items etc, phone bill).
He's just about to finish his 3 years and didn't once buy a book but that was because all his materials were on line.
We increased the £50 when he joined a gym but when he stopped using it we made it clear we weren't going to pay the next year.
The first couple of weeks in the first year are more expensive but he paid for his Freshers tickets with his 18th Birthday money and all beer money was from his holiday jobs.
With hindsight I think I'd have given a bit more so he could budget for clothes too. We just forwarded money when it was stuff he needed. If it was extra to what he needed we just said no! He didn't get on too well with his first year flat mates so cooked for 4 and froze 3 portions so he always had quick meals on lecture heavy days.
His phone bill was a Giffgaff package - I highly recommend.

We pay accommodation, phone, car costs and a contribution to petrol, and he gets £40 a week

It is tight for him but he doesn’t have a job which would give him a bit extra

Mine get about £130 a week and have a good social life and nice food to eat.

If they had to survive on £35 a week I'm sure they could but it wouldn't be easy as they both like going out.

I can afford it and I want them to eat well like they do at home, with decent meat etc.

If she's in Manchester then be warned that you don't get your deposit back in Halls - the rent is reduced by that amount for the third term. It probably won't matter so much in your daughter's case as you're paying her rent.

I think £80 pw is enough as it'll force her to get a job if she wants to spend more but will give her enough to live on otherwise. If she needs a bus pass I'd buy that for her. I'd also start a box now with things she'll need when she's away - stuff like coffee, cleaning things, etc. Just putting one or two things a week in there will make things a lot easier when she leaves.

What sort of prices did people have to pay for the first year in halls? Looking at Birmingham/Nottingham/Warwick/Liverpool. I think we will only get the basic £4000 maintenance loan.

Starting to feel a bit worried!

Reading this in trepidation! I do need to sort myself out. Loan sorted -minimum. Sounds like a plan to give him that and we pay for halls. He does want to work but depends on uni workload.

What sort of prices did people have to pay for the first year in halls?

Everywhere we looked at was £95 a week +.

My DS has what I've been told is the cheapest in the country at £65pw. Other unis seem to be £110 ish. Some are an eye watering £180. I have a friend who's daughter went through clearing and pay that much as it was the only accommodation left. We just couldn't afford that.

£180

We're looking at £106,£116 or £120 depending on what ds gets,really hoping it's the cheaper option!

We're looking at £106,£116 or £120 depending on what ds gets,really hoping it's the cheaper option!

How many weeks is that for (hoping not 52?!) and do you get any sort of food/meal plan?

No that's self catering and 42 weeks.

And laundry is extra!

I hate to think how mine will manage. Not for a while but 5 years in London. She will get max loan though, due to our income.
She will have to work from 16 and save up for her 5 years living money.

Well if my son wants £82 a week he's going to need a job!

He's off down to a south coast uni, fees and accommodation will be covered by student loans.

He'll be living within a mile or so of uni and a coupe of miles from the city centre, so travel is covered by his bicycle. We'll pay for travel home or collect in hols.

We've committed to send £35 a week to cover a food shop. He'll need to learn how to make ends meet at Aldi.

He's got some savings to get him going initially and I'm sure I'll slip him a couple of hundred before we leave him on moving in day.

To be honest though, we're not about to finance a three year piss up.

Like I say if he wants money for living it up, then a couple of nights or a Saturday bar work will net 50-100quid a week. Which isn't unreasonable, he's been working similar through A levels.

Students are meant to be on the breadline though, I was!

Catered halls are a lot more and having looked at the menu ds wouldn't eat a lot of it. There is the option to dip in and out if he wants to at about £4 per meal iirc so that's an option if he gets desperate.

Will he need extra food money if he can borrow the maximum amount newbieman1978?

Where dd hopes to go is £125 per week accommodation for 39 weeks. Her loan won't cover all of it as she will get the basic.

Some halls include a bus pass in the fees (DS's did, DD's stopped the year before she went (a semi invisible way of bumping up the fees, I guess).

Loafofsellotape

Just a small amount left over which I guess can cover books and equipment. Can't remember the exact amounts.

Nottingham Trent uni accommodation this year has been £6800 I think.

Tiny room with en-suite but right in centre of campus.

fedup21
ds is at warwick and pays 147 per week for a room with ensuite. All warwick accommodation is self catering. Prices includes wifi, utilities and basic insurance. Laundry is really expensive -I think the supplier is connect laundry and it is an absolute rip off.
ds pays for 39 weeks so he can leave everything in his room over the easter break. there are also contracts for 34 weeks.