Student finance for student with poor family

[SweatyBetty20]

My estranged brother died recently and I am rebuilding my relationship with his child who is a teenager. They lived very hand to mouth, have no savings, and without judging, my brother’s partners extended family have very low career aspirations - they live in social housing and are either on benefits or in low paid jobs in shops or distribution. The remaining parent is on universal credit and doesn’t work due to mental health issues.

My brother’s child has expressed a desire to go to university. I feel I have a duty of care to try and help as much as I can to support them to achieve their ambitions - in this case nursing. When I went to uni I was the last cohort to get a grant. I don’t have kids and have no idea of what they would be entitled to.

Is anyone able to advise on what kinds of finance/loans/grants/bursaries would be available to them so that I could try and work out where the financial gaps or shortfalls might be and try to fill the gaps? I’d need to start really putting money away over the next 3 years but would love her to be able to progress.

If the remaining parent’s income is low enough they should be entitled to the full maintenance loan. It varies depending on where you are studying but if you will be living away from home outside London it’s currently £9488. First year halls can eat up a good portion of that though.

Many unis have bursaries in addition which can be quite substantial- some are as much as the loan again but don’t need to be repaid.

Students can work in the holidays too to supplement

The UCAS website is really helpful on how finance works. Your relative should get support from school/college when the time comes too. Many Uni’s have generous bursary schemes for kids from backgrounds where going to Uni is not the norm. My kids have commented that those on full loans plus bursaries often have more money than their peers who are only on minimum loans but parents not able to top up as expected due to other expenses.

I have a household income almost exactly the national average single wage. As i understand it, when my ds goes to university in 2022 he should be able to take out a tuition fees loan which will cover the whole fee amount, plus a maintenance loan of about £8.5k a year. The calculator indicated I'd be expected to top up about £200 a year I think.

There are cheaper halls and more expensive halls at most universities - whether catered halls still exist i don't know, but when I retrained 15 years ago those of my cohort who went into catered halls regretted it as they were more expensive and inflexible (had to eat there at certain times etc).

What I do know is that accommodation has to be sorted out very early - long before A-levels are taken, especially for the cheaper options. Some of my friends have been caught out by that.

Placement travel can be a hidden cost. When i retrained in healthcare, the department insisted I had to be ready to travel anywhere in the area, but in fact were really kind to me and got me placements within easy reach. It's really important for the student to build a relationship with their tutors, as they will help as much as they can and there are often hidden or obscure helpful options they can come up with.

I find it slightly disturbing that you have a blanket opinion that anyone in social housing, on benefits, or in a low paying job lacks aspiration. You were estranged from your brother - what on earth do you know about the hopes and dreams and talents of the rest of your niece’s family? Do you know exactly why they’re in the position they are? Or what they might have wanted, given the opportunity?

If you want to be of any assistance to him you really need to approach the matter with a different mindset. Otherwise you are only setting out to separate this young woman from her family ...

And the loan - you don't have to pay it back until you are earning a certain amount and then it's just a small lump coming off your pay each month. Eventually it gets written off, 30 years later I think.

‘of assistance to her‘, sorry.

Good for you and her. She should get a bursary of £5000 plus maintenance loan and fee loan, so she shouldn't have to worry about finances. Many nurses in their second year also work as bank HCAs to earn extra money.

Some details here: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/considering-or-university/financial-support-university

For now, she needs to concentrate on getting the best GCSE grades she can, and making sure she takes the right subjects at sixth form (including a science), maybe some work experience in a care home at some point.

@Edmontine think you’ve made a few wrong assumptions there. Both my parents were born and brought up poor - my mum in social housing and my dad in a slum. They worked really hard to improve their own lives.

My opinion is not blanket - it’s about my brother’s in-laws family, who I have known for over 30 years. They do not have any aspirations to improve their lot, and any ambitions are “not for the likes of us”. I have only been estranged for a couple of years.

I went to a tough school where 20 of the 60 girls I was in the same year with were pregnant by the time they picked up their GCSEs. I don’t think it’s wrong of me to want to support a young family member who is considering a life different to the others. I won’t bully her, or try to coerce her into following a specific path, but if she wants to do something and the thought of not being able to afford it is stopping her, then I want her to know that in the absence of her dad, I will help and support her.

Thanks to everyone else for really useful info!

I worked as a carer when I was doing nurse training in the holidays, it made a great deal of difference to my income. I did that right up to my finals.

Okay - I guess people can’t always put every bit of relevant info into an OP.

Of course it isn’t wrong to want to support her.

Can I just suggest that you and you niece/nephew look at Martin Lewis’ guides to student finances at the money saving expert website. We found them really helpful and clear for both parents and prospective students. In a nutshell he explains about not being afraid of student loan debt - it works quite differently to other types of debt and it can be useful to see it more as a graduate tax.

Don’t worry about it @Edmontine - a post can be a fine line between “giving enough info to get advice” and “totally outing”! And you’re spot on with the alienation thing - it’s trying to find a balance with that too so I will tread carefully.

You’re very gracious!

Still, if she’s around fifteen (?) there’s a fair amount of time left where she’ll be materially and emotionally dependent on her remaining parent and other family. Anything you could do to coax them towards more enthusiasm might smooth the path a little for your niece - she doesn’t want to be battling against them for the next three years. It would be exhausting.

In your shoes I’d be working gently on the ‘not for the likes of us’ with her family. Also, do you get to take your niece out at all - theatre, concerts, restaurants ... (Pandemic allowing.) I find, with my own nieces and nephews that a trip to another town for a play or an exhibition provides plenty of opportunity for relaxed chat. And your trips could take you to various university towns ...

Yeah the plan is to try and get them gently on board. We do live in a city with a huge student population but I don’t think she’s even been over that side, so that’s one to do. Her family live on a council estate that’s about a mile square, and everything her mum needs is there - grandparents, children, GP, dentist, schools, supermarket, so they very rarely venture out - none of them ever learned to drive as they’ve never needed it. Their orbit is incredibly small. I just want to open her eyes a little to a wider world. She’s had a tough time - she was there when her dad died and the paramedics came, so she’s seen more than most kids at that age. Her mum was one of the 20 girls at school who got pregnant, and now has adult kids (who earn minimum wage), and a grandchild. I just think it would be nice if my niece saw that there are other options to take, if she wants to.

Help her choose the correct A levels. My DN took English, Music and Psychology and received top grades but was initially rejected by all nursing courses because of the lack of a science. She was eventually offered a place when a local university expanded their intake.

There have been some come backs with grants last year and I'm sure nursing was on them, it's run differently then before though

Quote PermanentTemporary: 'What I do know is that accommodation has to be sorted out very early - long before A-levels are taken, especially for the cheaper options. Some of my friends have been caught out by that.'

I don't understand what you mean here? She might choose her University originally on the basis that she wants to stay living at home but I think campus accommodation can usually only be applied for after you have firmed your first choice offer.

What a nice thing to do. And yes I think kids do need a guiding hand, someone that can talk through options, help with personal statement, go and visit prospective universities with them ( if you can). It’s quite stressful and daunting to do on your own if you are 17. Nursing is a fantastic career , so many options to go into, and countries to work in and plenty of opportunities to earn extra doing bank shifts.
If you have younger kids then doing the process will also help you for when their time comes so win win

Oh maybe it was only one uni. They asked students to apply before exams.

@PermanentTemporary re accommodation, without wanting to be negative, can I just sound a note of caution?
You generally apply after confirming your university firm choice, and before you get your A level results.

Some universities have a date when applications open, and will allocate based on how quickly you apply. The popular choices can go very quickly.
In others you list your preferences in order, and universities will try to allocate you a place based on these, but cannot guarantee that you will be allocated any of your places.

Every year under both systems, there are students disappointed that they been allocated somewhere they didn’t want, and that can include being allocated an expensive hall when the student wanted something more modest.

@SweatyBetty20 encourage your niece to look at summer schools and other activities run by universities, aimed at young people from low income families and the first generation to go to uni.

I live in in Birmingham and university of Birmingham starts supporting young people from school year 10. They get the opportunity to attend a residential and other aspirational sessions. They also get appointed mentors and support with their personal statement. If she chooses a different career path or course they also receive increased bursaries that don't need to be paid back.

Definitely worth exploring what opportunities there are.

If you know her household’s income, you can use this calculator to work out approximately how much she would get in loans. www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator

A lot of universities offer some form of bursary on top of this for students from low income households. There will be details of this on university websites.

With a full maintenance loan she’s likely to be fine financially at university. Where your money might be most useful is for transport to open days or other uni events (summer schools, taster sessions, etc), and to any voluntary/work experience she does before applying.

yes, in fact those from a low income family get more than double the maintenance grant of others in England so often end up with more money not less than teenagers from richer homes unless the parents pay them the difference which they have no legal obligation to do.

As said about there is a system for accommodation - once you have had the offers for your 5 choice you choose a first and back up choice from those who make you offers (if any make you offers ) and after that apply for a hall for year 1.

Do check which A level subjects particular courses prefer for nursing.

If she is interested in nursing (or in any of the other eligible courses), details of the NHS Learning Support Fund are here:
www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund

Wrt applying for accommodation, she needs to check how the specific university organises this, but with the NHS bursary as well as (presumably) the full student loan, at least the possibility of ending up with a more expensive hall of residence than hoped for, though annoying, would be less of an issue. Yes, some universities use the 'hotel booking' type system (booking an actual room in real time, so 'first come, first served') and perhaps the universities our 3 DC have looked at are the exception, but most / all of those have used the system whereby you are guaranteed accommodation if you apply by a certain date, but the actual allocation only happens once your offer becomes 'unconditional firm', which for most people is on or after results day. It's really not something to worry about at this stage, though.

@Edmontine

I find it slightly disturbing that you have a blanket opinion that anyone in social housing, on benefits, or in a low paying job lacks aspiration. You were estranged from your brother - what on earth do you know about the hopes and dreams and talents of the rest of your niece’s family? Do you know exactly why they’re in the position they are? Or what they might have wanted, given the opportunity?

If you want to be of any assistance to him you really need to approach the matter with a different mindset. Otherwise you are only setting out to separate this young woman from her family ...

You need to reread and retract. She never said she had a blanket opinion it was very clear she was talking about one specific family.