Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Uni spend

45 replies

FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:02

Hi,
How much does your DC have/need a week as cash in pocket after accommodation paid for.
I know it's dependent on area so we're looking at Kingston in non self catered halls. So my DC will have to pay for food and going out spends. DC gets half the maintenance loan so we will top her up.

Thanks for any replies.

OP posts:
cocunut · 14/05/2023 12:03

I had two jobs during uni. Tell them to get a job.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 14/05/2023 12:06

I'm interested in what "non self catered is". Is this a new way of saying Catered? Wink

lastdayatschool · 14/05/2023 12:06

And that answered the OP's question how @cocunut ?

Houseplantmad · 14/05/2023 12:07

Both of our DCs have p/t jobs and from Y2 have been largely topping up their own loans. We help with utility bills and a grocery delivery every now and then.
Their maintenance loans don’t cover their rent so we pay the difference on that too, which is around £900 each.
In year 1 they spent around £25-30 on food (but add another 20% onto that now) and had £30 to socialise with. They were happy with that and towards the end of the year both got jobs for travel money. Both also work over the summer to top up savings.
Their studies haven’t been affected by working as both are on course for good degrees and have lots of work experience now too.

cocunut · 14/05/2023 12:08

lastdayatschool · 14/05/2023 12:06

And that answered the OP's question how @cocunut ?

Sorry came across a bit blunt there. Just a bit sick of seeing "how much to give DC at uni" posts. It's like how long is a piece of string. If you can afford to support them within your own means, great. But there is a vast majority of students out there who have to work their behinds off and don't get given "free money" to spend on booze, Waitrose shops and god knows what else... That's my two cents anyway. Higher education is expensive and should not put parents outside of their means to support their ADULT children.

AssertiveGertrude · 14/05/2023 12:10

I would say 100 a week (it’s hard to know exactly due to travel and costs on an individual level)

Chewbecca · 14/05/2023 12:11

DS is catered Mon-Fri and has £180 pm term time only. Manages fine but works in holidays to top up for luxuries (more booze).

Original poster
FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:11

Sorry, I meant self catered.

I don't mean to offend anyone.

Of course DC will be encouraged to get a job. I'm just asking a question - how much a student needs to get by.

OP posts:
Original poster
FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:12

@Houseplantmad that's really helpful! Thank you!

OP posts:
Losingweightissohard · 14/05/2023 12:13

Houseplantmad · 14/05/2023 12:07

Both of our DCs have p/t jobs and from Y2 have been largely topping up their own loans. We help with utility bills and a grocery delivery every now and then.
Their maintenance loans don’t cover their rent so we pay the difference on that too, which is around £900 each.
In year 1 they spent around £25-30 on food (but add another 20% onto that now) and had £30 to socialise with. They were happy with that and towards the end of the year both got jobs for travel money. Both also work over the summer to top up savings.
Their studies haven’t been affected by working as both are on course for good degrees and have lots of work experience now too.

Is that £900 a year each? Do they get the minimum maintenance loan?

Original poster
FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:14

@AssertiveGertrude @Chewbecca thank you too

OP posts:
Motheranddaughter · 14/05/2023 12:15

£500 a month

Losingweightissohard · 14/05/2023 12:20

Just applied for accommodation first year which is £6500.00 to £8000.00, we have put this aside already and we will pay this and then he can live on the minimum maintenance loan. He has 5k in savings which he will get in August when he turns 18 not sure what he will do with this but he is expected to allocate some as an emergency fund. These figures are for the first year only. He will be expected to get a job and learn budgeting and future years amounts will be discussed and agreed. We felt as he only turns 18 in August he is still one of he youngest. I may give him my old car too or I might worn it for later he’s already passed his driving test.

Losingweightissohard · 14/05/2023 12:21

Typos!

titchy · 14/05/2023 12:32

£4-500 a month seems reasonable if you can afford that.

Dotcheck · 14/05/2023 12:33

cocunut · 14/05/2023 12:08

Sorry came across a bit blunt there. Just a bit sick of seeing "how much to give DC at uni" posts. It's like how long is a piece of string. If you can afford to support them within your own means, great. But there is a vast majority of students out there who have to work their behinds off and don't get given "free money" to spend on booze, Waitrose shops and god knows what else... That's my two cents anyway. Higher education is expensive and should not put parents outside of their means to support their ADULT children.

Show quote history

Ffs
What a shitty attitude.

Students get assessed based on PARENT income. It doesn’t matter if they are tech tan ADULT or not.

And not all students are out pissing their maintenance money against the wall you know.

Bloody hell.

CorneliaStreetAgain · 14/05/2023 12:36

But there is a vast majority of students out there who have to work their behinds off and don't get given "free money" to spend on booze, Waitrose shops and god knows what else

If they get the full maintenance loan, fair enough. However, those who get the minimum are entitled to financial support from their parents. These threads are for parents who aren't flush so need some idea how much they will actually need.

OP - we're going to top up DD's accommodation then give her £50 per week and see how it goes.

No pressure to get a job until she finds her feet. She's got savings from her pt job and will work holidays.

CorneliaStreetAgain · 14/05/2023 12:38

titchy · 14/05/2023 12:32

£4-500 a month seems reasonable if you can afford that.

What would you expect that to cover?

Original poster
FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:42

@Dotcheck thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:44

@Losingweightissohard snap! The same 1/2 maintenance loan doesn't cover our DC 7k accommodation. I'm sure most of us are in that situation sadly.

OP posts:
Original poster
FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:48

@CorneliaStreetAgain that's what we will do I think. Top up the Maintenance loan so the acini's paid for. Then fro. What I've see. Above river her an allowance which is looking like £50/£75 PW.

Thankfully her course will leave very little free time and she is no party girl. So not much time to spend

OP posts:
Longtimenewsee · 14/05/2023 12:48

Dc has £52 per week left. They get jobs over summer for spenny stuff (gigs, trips away etc)

Original poster
FiveMoreMinutesPlease · 14/05/2023 12:48

TYpos!!!!!

Give her about£50/£75 p wk

OP posts:
titchy · 14/05/2023 12:52

@CorneliaStreetAgain

I'd expect that to cover food, bills, travel to uni, travel home once or twice a term, course materials, society membership and associated costs, socialising, clothes etc. Everything in fact that people spend money on! Would also suggest that amount during term time only and getting a job during the summer.

Allschoolsareartschools · 14/05/2023 12:58

My dd is just coming to the end of her first year in self catered accommodation.
Student finance more or less covered the accommodation costs, we had to top it up a bit but that's split into 3 payments so not too bad. Very good value accommodation compared to some unis we looked at!
We pay £60 p/w into her account to cover food, nights out, day to day costs etc. She knows she could ask for more if she really needed it but has managed very well.
Tbh, I didn't encourage her to get a job in her first year as I think they've got enough to contend with at first.
Going into a shared house next year & hopefully working but I'll probably keep the money the same.