So, how the hell do you afford uni for your kids?

[F0XCUB88]

Just been looking at prices for accommodation, £200 per week!

So looked at Money Saving Expert to see how much we need to contribute on top of loans. It says we need to save £358 per month.

We earn £50,000 between us, mortgage payment just went up by £££ and now can't actually get to the end of the month so how do we save £358?

Do we just say no she can't go? What do other people do?

I know it's a first world problem but she's really bright. Neither of us went to uni and finding it all a bit confusing. I just can't see that everyone else can afford it?

The paper sifting stage has nothing to do with me. I only do the in person interview during a second round. It's how my firm does things and it's how they expect me to do things. By the time the applications are in my hand nearly all the candidates are from the same 10 universities. What do you expect me to do about it?

My daughter is going to a local university for this very reason. They get free bus travel here in Scotland too. I went to the same university and traveled back and forth (half an hour on bus).

She doesn't want to move away from home anyway (she has ADHD and copes better at home).

DS gets DSA but it's not money in their pocket, or have we missed put an important step?

Amazingly not everyone goes to Oxbridge.

Yes. However, the chance of entry into Oxbridge is low. So to recommend avoiding the other good ones would further narrow down OP's child's chances of a successful career.

While there are anomalies, the majority of those I know in high-paid jobs in the City and Civil Service have Oxbridge/Russell Group degrees. I couldn't imagine putting a limit on my child's potential due to cost. Where there is a will, there is a way.

I just mentioned that because it's something parents need to plan for. It's not just Oxbridge but medicine courses.

Please consider an apprenticeship. I wish I had done one. More and more large companies are doing them and often allowing their apprentices to do a degree while working and earning.

University is just not worth it now.

If you can get into Oxbridge it doesn't matter if you can't pay. The bursaries are very generous.

Applicants who are estranged and unsupported by their parents get the maximum funding. The student just needs to note that they are estranged from their parents on their loan application.

That is how students whose parent’s refuse to support them financially for any reason can still attend.

Would you not try to challenge this emotional storm ? I find this really depressing - privilege getting handed on. I work for an ex poly and tackling this kind of entrenched advantage is high on our agenda.

The paper sifting stage has nothing to do with me. I only do the in person interview during a second round. It's how my firm does things and it's how they expect me to do things. By the time the applications are in my hand nearly all the candidates are from the same 10 universities. What do you expect me to do about it?

Have you ever challenged this process? Have you considered reviewing your recruitment process?

Saying 'it's just how we do things' is a really poor excuse.

@F0XCUB88 I understand your concerns and frustrations but you can only do your best and the fact you have saved £4500 is a lot more than some parents will have been able to manage, especially currently.

My DD is at Uni in Sheffield, which is one of the cheaper cities. Maybe start a spreadsheet of Universities offering the course your DC is interested in, but include a column for rent and cost of living so that can be taken into account when deciding where to apply.

DD has just finished her 2nd year and is staying in the same house for 3rd year. It costs £116 per week and this includes her bills. She shares with 5 others in a great house, with a large kitchen, living room and garden, walking distance to Uni.

I do think the city you choose can make a huge difference to cost.

We have tried recruiting blind one year but we ended up with even more Oxbridge students and students from private school. Also we take in the odd trainee now and then from Rare Recruitment (they're mostly from deprived backgrounds) and a lot of them are not retained after the training period. They're just not as good a fit.

What do you expect me to do about it?

Challenge it....

If I'm going to be honest, the correlation between being hired at my firm is greater if you go to a private school than even based on prestige of university. It is depressing and we are looking into it. We take in some trainees outside of our usual requirements but they seem to struggle to fit in over the course of the training contract and are not retained.

They're just not as good a fit.

My god.... it's like social mobility bingo 🙄

So depressing

We mainly look at their university and whether they had an internship at a professional services company or held a leadership position (e.g. college president).

Fucking hell. It really is jobs for the boys still, isn’t it. Made up “leadership position” for posh lads and closed door internships valued over having a job.

Well the partners decide who to retain after qualification. A big part of that is who they get along with since nearly every graduate who comes through the door is smart enough to do the job.

Degree apprenticeships are worth at least looking at. DS has a DF who is doing one for computer science and he's thriving.

Can't imagine it was that competitive as he's never been renowned for liking hard work

Fair enough if @Emotionalstorm sticks to their way of doing things. I hate the way certain posters completely derail threads with their pompous posts about recruitment. Many of us get through life very successfully and happily without having to work in one of these boring old companies. Let them get on with it.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Swansea is a nice uni with very cheap accommodation in the 2nd and 3rd year.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you have to go with uni accommodation in the first year. My youngest went through a student accommodation company and got an ensuite double room in a new build flat block from September to June for less per week than uni halls. It was much nicer too! He's secured the same for next year. There are eight rooms per 'flat' with a shared kitchen. The maintenance loan covers the accommodation with a bit to spare and we top him up with £50 per week.

The oldest is in the year above. He's autistic and made the decision to go to a local uni and stay living at home. He gets a smaller maintenance loan which pays for his travel/course equipment.

The internships are open for any student to apply to.

The internships are open for any student to apply to.

Are they paid internships?

Unfortunately there are hoops you need to jump through to get a high paying job. Life is easier if you jump through those hoops. It's better to be aware of them early isn't it than to be ignorant. You can play it the hard way and go to Swansea or the University of East Anglia or you can go to a university that is more likely to get you onto one of the competitive schemes.

Civil service does blind recruitment, you have to remove the name of your uni's from your application. Other places have started this too so what you are saying isn't really true. I think it's probably a thing in careers like law though, I know my bil came up against it because he wasn't privately educated, he still made it but it was harder for him (he did go to a Russell Group uni though, he just wasnt from a privileged backgroud, my in laws are still wealthy I'll add, just not law school wealthy!)