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Higher education

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Original poster

How much money to give DD a month at University?

205 replies

tactum · 11/08/2021 23:01

I really do realise this is a very lucky position to be in that we can afford to think about it....

How much money will you give your kid a month at uni? Obv have basic loans in the bag, and we've said we'll make up the shortfall on the accommodation costs, but that basically leaves her with 0 living income. She's hopefully transferring to a job at uni that will earn her £30 per week.

I'm thinking give her £300 per month?? I'm not sure. I really do obviously realise we're fortunate to be able to give her this, and don't want to discourage her from getting job as I think that's important but just wondered what the general consensus was from people in the position to subsidise. Please don't flame me for being able to.....

OP posts:
Darbs76 · 12/08/2021 06:54

Glad you asked as planning for next year. DS’s dad will be paying for accommodation (and fee’s he says) and doesn’t want him to work but I don’t think he’s considered living costs. I guess it depends where in the country she’s going too, Scotland is cheaper than London for example. £80 a week is plenty though, if they don’t have many travel costs etc. If she needs anymore she could just up her work hours

Peaseblossum22 · 12/08/2021 07:53

@54321nought that may be all very well in principal but the reality is that placements are not always accessible by public transport. Not everything is based in a city. Also good luck next time you call an ambulance and the paramedic arrives on foot .

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 12/08/2021 08:06

We have based it loosely on the maximum loan amount, so Ds will be getting the minimum of £4422 meaning we are expected to fork the other £5066 per year.

His accommodation is just over £6k self catered (Durham) so his loan won't cover it. We have literally done maximum loan, minus accommodation and divide the remainder by the 30 weeks he will be there. This gives him over £100 per week for food and anything else he needs/wants.

He feels and we agree that this is just too much money. However, he is a very sensible boy when it comes to money and spending. We have a very close relationship and we have said that everything is up for discussion re adjusting the amount down. He thinks £25 a week on supermarket food is reasonable, we agree. So where does the other £75 go? Shock

He will be using his Monzo account as his main spending account and can assign money into different pots for different things meaning he can keep an eye on what he is spending and where he is spending it.

Member589500 · 12/08/2021 08:09

This comes up every year and every year I think the same. The amount they get as loan is supposed to be made up by parents to the set figure. About £9k and they’ll get about £4.k k as loan. So you give them about 4.5k p a.
If you want to give more then do. If you can’t afford it they have to work.
Amongst my friends everyone pays the accommodation and the student has the loan to live on.

Lazypuppy · 12/08/2021 08:09

She should be able to get a better job with more hours, maybe either retail or bars/pubs in the uni town. Depending on course, there isn't usually many hours of lectures a week. I had 2 jobs moat of my time at uni

My agreement when i was at uni was i had to work to fund my spending money and my mum topped up rent/fees etc.

C8H10N4O2 · 12/08/2021 08:09

unless you are doing night shifts, students do no need cars

Not just night shifts. A range of courses require distance visits, placements etc and since its pretty much impossible to survive as a student without a job now then safe transit to and from work which is often antisocial hours. Not every university is conveniently located with public transport to work.

And should not be using them. Not only is it unnecessary, polluting and damaging to the environment, but they also develop a car mind set, and plan their lives around car ownership, whereas young people need to be getting rid of this lethal mind set altogether

Oh dear gods, an OP wanted suggestions on how to support her DC as a student, not lectures on green living.

Member589500 · 12/08/2021 08:10

All the sums are on moneysavingexpert.

And yes I know it’s a terrible system but gives you a baseline to understand expectations

Lazypuppy · 12/08/2021 08:10

@OnTheBenchOfDoom the other £75 will probably go on alcohol on nights out

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 12/08/2021 08:12

Ds lives off the minimum loan and we pay the rent.

Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow · 12/08/2021 08:14

We give 400 a month. Ds is excellent at managing his money and has an emergency fund set up. He pays his bills monthly and has been working 35 hours a week during the summer so has given himself a cushion.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 12/08/2021 08:14

it is a difficult question to answer,
my dd spent less than £20 on food per week
i wouldnt be so generous as you
part of being a student is being resilient so she needs to learn this.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 12/08/2021 08:16

What job is she doing that only pays 30pw?

Working a full Saturday and maybe 3/4 hours one weekday evening at NMW would give her around 100pw.

ShanghaiDiva · 12/08/2021 08:16

Ds did not have a loan so we paid accommodation fees and gave him £300 per month.

finished31 · 12/08/2021 08:16

As a newbie. We are planning on £300 per month and shopping each time DD comes home.

Just wading through Amazon list as we speak!

LIZS · 12/08/2021 08:18

We pay accommodation costs and both dc have lived off the minimum loan.

ThymeafterThyme · 12/08/2021 08:22

What is the lowest amount they can get?

pourmeanotherglass · 12/08/2021 08:23

I was going to give the difference between the full maintainance loan and the loan she was able to get ( the minimum).

LemonRoses · 12/08/2021 08:25

Working wasn’t realistically an option for ours. We wanted to give enough to not struggle but not so much it put them financially above their friends. Needn’t have worried about the last bit, to be honest.

Ours took tuition fees and loans but with a promise of pay off whether achieved their degrees/ a minimum 2:1.

That covered accommodation more or less, except in Exeter where we topped up as her house costs were £750 a month. The youngest we gave £500 a month living costs plus uni to home travel, plus academic books and costs, plus phone contract, insurance, lenses, prescriptions, dentist and haircuts.

The oldest similar but with car costs as needed for placements, plus professional clothes allowance.

We’ve always paid exam and registration fees, when necessary.

hellcatspangle · 12/08/2021 08:26

What is the lowest amount they can get?

£4,422 maintenance is the lowest amount, their rent has to come out of that so it usually needs topping up.

Lumpwoody · 12/08/2021 08:26

Mine gets £50 a week - weekly so I know she has enough for food.

ThymeafterThyme · 12/08/2021 08:26

Sorry - I see someone's already said. I hate it when people don't RTFT Blush

Lumpwoody · 12/08/2021 08:27

I top up where necessary though. And I paid the IKEA run for all her stuff at the start of first year.

Feelingmardy · 12/08/2021 08:29

If your DD has £25 a week for food and toiletries, £10 a week for course-related costs, then I'd suggest another £60 for other expenses. That's £95 and she earns £30. So maybe £65? If she wants more she can look for more work either/ or in term time or the holidays. Compared to many people's disposable income, I'd think this was pretty flush. If she's getting all food provided in catered halls, then take £20 off.

catfunk · 12/08/2021 08:29

Why will she only be working £30 pw? If she gets a decent job and works holidays you shouldn't need to give her anything tbh.

ThymeafterThyme · 12/08/2021 08:29

Thanks @hellcatspangle

Those of you talking about them getting jobs in bars; are you comfortable with your daughters taking public transport back to halls late at night?