How are students going to afford cost of living?

[Tigerblue4]

Anyone concerned how their DC are going to afford the cost of living this year?

DD is her final year, so gets less - £5800. She's just signed a rental contract of £7900 for the year (on the lower side of rental in the area). We've agreed to give her £400pm, until she returns home in June. I reckon she's going to be left with £160pm a month to cover food and bills, she just won't be able to do it. She's some distance from home so cost is usually £100 one way (she has always gone with cheapest option).

She's still on her year abroad, but has five days work lined up starting the day after she gets back. Very hard to get work in her uni city as there are three large unis within a short distance - only ever got one interview and they told her she didn't have nearly enough experience - she's worked in cafe, high end hospitality, shop and age verification work.

DD will be okay. Has uni job so gets cheap accommodation (£1100 for 41 weeks). Plus has worked term time and holidays for last 3 years so has saved a bit.

My DS2 initially struggled to find work in his uni city (4 unis plus several colleges). He hadn't started looking early enough (and probably gave up too quickly). Someone suggested trying an out of town shopping centre (15 minutes from uni by bus). He got a job there and transferred nearer after Christmas. One of DDs friends is doing homecare. She loves it (pays £12+ per hour) and they are so desperate for staff she can call the shots hours wise.

Quite - and I don't suppose there's any prospect of loan amounts rising to counteract the diminishing value of parental income, is there?
Thought not.

What about uni ambassador work? Worth looking into. My son did it and managed to earn extra money by doing open days online chats, writing blogs etc

And also, are bills not included in the rent?

£800 a month for rent (in a shitty house share??), I would hope that includes bills?

There is always work to be found op, even in cities with 3 unis.

£100 each way for travel within the UK is also bonkers, where is she travelling between?

I live in a university city with 3 big universities in. A city this big will always have employment for students if they are prepared to look for it.

£100 one way is the cheapest option? Where she is travelling between?

I encouraged my daughter to get into care work before she went off to university.
She is a really compassionate individual and I knew that she would be great at the job
She is inundated with work and can choose her own hours.
The work is very demanding but she is fortunate to have work

I can't imagine how student houses where bills aren't included are going to work this year. There are going to be so many problems. It very worrying.
I'm glad my kids are older

Rent doesn't include bills, although students are exempt from council tax. They've really struggled to get a flat this year, but lucky that it's in a good area and looks half decent - although huge rooms, high ceilings and old sash windows, so going to take a lot of heating.

I've reminded DD about the ambassador work, also uni cafe and shop - she's never got anything from them when applying before, so I've suggested she enquires now before everyone returns.

It's 660 miles between uni and home. She always checks to see what's cheapest - journey involves bus/flight/train/bus or bus/train/bus. Just checked and full train journey is £90 at mo.

yes there will be arguments in how to divide bills if some are frugal and others aren’t,

The entire uk from the tip of Scotland to the south coast is only 600 miles! Where on earth do you live/ go to uni?

I think you need to check your map and see where scotland ends. 😉

Does your DC have a Railcard OP? That takes about a third off fares.
If she's travelling that distance she must be travelling through Scotland if you're in UK.
How old is she? Under 22s now get free bus travel in Scotland

I am just trying to imagine living in thurso or the orkney islands or the shetlands or whatever and thinking " i will go to university in Exeter or plymouth"

Are we the only family that factored in distance when making uni choices?

Home brew kits & grow tents? 🤔

skellig - I certainly didn’t when I went! Back in the days when it cost £10 to fill my mini! 😂 but yes, I’ve met many young Cornish person up here in the wilds - who drive Aberdeen to Truro in one go. Oh to be young again.

anyway, the cost of student accommodation is scandalous and frequently more than my rent !

My kids basically drew a circle around home that would be a journey of say 4 hours and chose within that!
One was looking at Glasgow which would have been about 5 hours but once we did the drive up for open day declared it too far away!

Are we the only family that factored in distance when making uni choices?

We have considered general affordability @Skelligsfeathers
Transport costs to make sure they can come home every few weeks should they wish/need to.
And also student rental costs in chosen city, some are well known for being extortionate! Providing the courses are considered of similar calibre.

If the student requires financial support with rent, travel etc it has to be affordable at family level

I drew a circle of 3 hours and said I wouldn't go anywhere within that. I wanted to leave home, properly, not be just down the road with parents popping in and being expected to come home for weekends.

I don't think we should be expecting students to limit their choices based on distance to home. Somewhat scuppers social mobility, for starters.

Yes to rental costs. Some cities are unbelievable.
My ds is about to start an m.a in London and the cost of accommodation is horrific.

We live in the north and London is 2 hours away. Hardly down the road!

And that's fine @SirSamVimesCityWatch as long as you're not relying on parents who can't really afford it, to pay considerable travel expenses home and pay rent in a very expensive city. Assuming there are other similar options available.

Sometimes these things have to be family decisions, particularly when siblings also need support

I went to uni in the early 2000s so it was different, tuition fee wise. But although it was far lower fees, I got the lowest amount of loan, and no financial support from my parents, working various jobs through uni to make ends meet. I also only went home a couple of times a year, because it was expensive. I lived in my uni city during the summer and over breaks because I was working, so I had to be there for my jobs anyway.

I stand by the idea the geography should only be a factor in uni choice if the student wants it to be.

I also think that the student loan amounts need to reflect the cost of living rise.

The might be travelling by road, which adds more than a few miles to the journey. It's over 800 miles from Penzance to Thurso, to pluck some random distant points on the mainland.