Uni help

[worriedatthistime]

My ds has accepted his uni place and now we need to go and aelect accommodation and apply for student finance
He is telling me we have time but I thought we needed to get a move on
What info do we need to apply for student finance
Once we select accommodation is that it we can't change etc

www.gov.uk/get-undergraduate-student-loan

This takes your DS through the process (he has to start it off, as it is his loan). Assuming that you are in England and this is his first degree, he will be entitled to the tuition fee loan, which is paid directly to the university, and the basic, non-means-tested porton of the maintenance loan. If he is entitled to borrow more (you can check this on the online calculator), he can indicate in his application that he wants to do this, provide your (plural your, if you live with a partner) contact details and you will be contacted by email to check that you agree to this and to prompt you to set up an account, through which you provide details of your income.

He can start off the process at any time and make any necessary changes later.

Applying 'late' just doesn't guarantee everything in place for the start of the term, but what they tend to do is approve the basic and adjust it upwards later, if relevant.

(If you work out that he will only get the basic maintenance loan anyway, there is no need for him to provide your details, btw).

Re accommodation, the process will be set by the individual university, so he needs to check the relevant web pages.

Re accommodation, he needs to look at the website for the particular university.
Historically it was much simpler - you applied for the University you 'firmed' (made your first choice) and after results day they would allocate, doing their best to meet preferences, but guaranteeing all first years accommodation.
In recent years it has started to get more complicated as more and more accommodation has been privatised. Unfortunately some Universities now try and create panic by allocation first come, first served. There are also some universities that let you apply for accommodation at your 'insurance' (the university he has put as 2nd choice), but that is still quite unusual.
Which is why we can best say to look on the website for the particular university.

You can also look on either facebook, or search for the website of WIWIKAU (What I wish I knew about University) where they have a group for every university, and parents can ask questions of others who know that university.

Thank you both
He has his offer and accepted and has he already has results as he has had a year working first
Thanks again though really helpful

Some unis will already have opened accommodation applications, some are later (after UCAS deadline). Usually all those received by a specific date (ie. Before results day) are treated equally but some will allocate to firm offer holders earlier on a first come, first served basis.

Student finance application is pretty simple if he's only going for the minimum maintenance loan as others have said. You can pause the application part way through. They tell you to start it really early so it's guaranteed for start of term but in my experience it comes through very quickly.
Accommodation selection varies by uni e.g. at Exeter I think you put 4 choices in order, at UCL you just select the price band, at Leeds you choose 1. Ultimately they allocate you so if there are any key preferences e.g. accessibility, single sex, quiet etc then make sure you put that. Yes I think you can move reasonably easily if it ends up being wrong for you as others want to move or leave.
Thing that has shocked me a bit (naive?) is that while tuition fees loan covers the course, maintenance loan isn't really enough to live on never mind the cost of accommodation. Amongst my friends it seems to be parents pay accommodation (say £650 pcm) plus maybe phone, train tickets home, larger purchases (computer, uni trips) plus adhoc top ups and the students use the maintenance loan for ongoing living expenses. It does depend on the city as to how far the loan goes.

Look at reviews of the accommodations or ask a current student if you can.

@MrsEricBana yes we have realised that part as well we can't afford to pay his accomadation etc but i know many that do this and their dc live on the loan, you don't have to be an exceptional high earner go have money taken of the maintenance loan from what I can see and no account of other kids
This is one of the reasons he has worked this year , so far he has saved around £5000 as well as pay driving lessons etc
We have let him live rent / keep free and we plan to cover his phone bill at uni as its on family thing anyway and an expense we are used to , also to help out with food etc so send him back with parcels etc and maybe £10/£20 here and there but thats all we can really afford at least for year 1 as i lost my job due to covid and struggled to get anything so trying to get back on our feet
He also said he will get part time job or at least holiday work

If your household income in the current tax year is 15% or more less than it was in the year on which you would normally be assessed (2020 / 2021 for the coming academic year), you can ask for current year assessment.
www.gov.uk/support-child-or-partners-student-finance-application/current-year-income

Thing that has shocked me a bit (naive?) is that while tuition fees loan covers the course, maintenance loan isn't really enough to live on never mind the cost of accommodation.

I think that depends on so many factors.
Many, many students live on the loan, and many live on less than that.
Most, of course will work to supplement their income, so they can have a more luxurious lifestyle.

Ask for his assessment to be based in your latest tax year income not your pre-Covid income - that should make a huge difference.

The basic maintenance loan is plenty to live on though if accommodation isn't included.

@MarchingFrogs tbf im probably better asking in current tax yeat as hopefully have a secure job now and have done for last 7 months

@titchy we need the loan for accomadation and it will just about cover it by the calculator I have done
We cannot afford to pay for his accommodation
He probably has enough saved to live off year one , so having a job will be important as he needs to think about money for year 2/3
I wish we were in a position to help him more
Not sure if accommodation is dearer on cheaper when they move out if halls
Its all so expensive and I do worry about the debt he is incurring as well

Have a look on his uni website for bursaries or scholarships. Some unis even have an automatic bursary for students whose parental income is below a certain level.

Is your income over £65k then?

Do you want to say which uni? That way you can get specific information about accommodation. Some unis like Warwick only let you apply after results day when they know who has got in, others make you do it now.

Most students are not well off, that is why student bank accounts give them free overdrafts. Lots of students budget for food and 66% have jobs. Most of them take out the tuition fee loans and the maintenance loan. We see it as an investment in themselves. They just pay more tax. Both Dh and I went to uni, I had student loans, Dh had wealthy parents and generous grandparents.

Have a look at this www.savethestudent.org/student-finance/maintenance-loans.html#repay

I'm not really clear if you are saying that your student will only get the minimum loan due to your household income, but that you don't feel able to top it up to the full amount, or if your student has chosen some wildly expensive accommodation ?

However, it sounds like he has his head screwed on, and the right work ethic, and has already saved more than enough to supplement the first year, with still 5+months or earning to go before he goes off to University, which should earn him enough to take him through 2nd year as well