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Higher education

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

Original poster

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

645 replies

F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 05:39

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?

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BHRK · 27/06/2023 06:14

She will be costing you far less by not being at home. She can get a job. It will be so nice for her to move away and have independence. Save as hard as you can now, really tighten your belts now

Taylorscat · 27/06/2023 06:16

I have told my dd though that she can’t go to London as the accommodation costs are so much greater .

Dotcheck · 27/06/2023 06:18

Have you used the calculator tool to see how much you child would get?
My child was on the maximum loan which covered most of her costs. She also worked before uni and saved an impressive amount which created a cushion for her first two years.

Many students also make decisions on where to go based on what they can afford.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 27/06/2023 06:19

It's not an example of elitism, it's a reflection of a different structure to the course. Short terms, work is full on all term, every term. Longer vacations when students can work. Accommodation costs are lower at Oxford and Cambridge than in many other places. I have heard that bursary support for students from less affluent families is also pretty good there.

uggmum · 27/06/2023 06:21

My DS receives the min maintenance loan of around £4400.
His rent last year was £6k and this was in Halls.
(He rented privately this year)
We give him £500 per month to cover his rent. He lives on his maintenance loan.
He also works 18 hours a week in a local restaurant.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 27/06/2023 06:21

And you haven't let her down, OP. Lots of parents find themselves in a similar situation, having just assumed that the loans will cover everything. There isn't enough communication about this from an earlier age.

sashagabadon · 27/06/2023 06:22

Uni accommodation contracts might only be for 40 weeks so accommodation costs are not for a full year. You need to check contract length before signing tenancy

BingandSulaandFlop · 27/06/2023 06:23

It's a long time ago now but when I went to uni I had £50 of my loan left for the year once my accommodation was paid. My parents couldn't afford to help much other than the occasional bail out and big supermarket trip. I didn't get any sort of weekly allowance from them.

I managed by:

a) working during the summers
b) a small inheritance of £1000
c) using the 0% overdraft I got through my student bank account

You say she will struggle with a job. Presumably she will be getting one once she graduates? She can just work the holidays if studying and working will be too much for her. If she starts looking now she could get something lined up for the next year to start building up money before she goes. It doesn't need to be bar or shop work. I worked in an office.

You haven't let her down. Lots of people are in this position.

Cupcakegirl13 · 27/06/2023 06:23

Is she in receipt of DLA ? If she is unable to work she will be eligible for a disability benefit.

Original poster
F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:25

Cupcakegirl13 · 27/06/2023 06:23

Is she in receipt of DLA ? If she is unable to work she will be eligible for a disability benefit.

She can work. I just think she might find it hard to get a job in a cafe, bar etc due to social awkwardness. She wants to work with computers but don't think you just get part time student it jobs

OP posts:
Original poster
F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:26

Thanks everyone who said it's 40 weeks for rent, hadn't thought of that!

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Original poster
F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:26

uggmum · 27/06/2023 06:21

My DS receives the min maintenance loan of around £4400.
His rent last year was £6k and this was in Halls.
(He rented privately this year)
We give him £500 per month to cover his rent. He lives on his maintenance loan.
He also works 18 hours a week in a local restaurant.

£500 seems so much to us and completely unaffordable 😞

OP posts:
ShanghaiDiva · 27/06/2023 06:27

Accommodation costs can vary enormously. Rooms in halls at Warwick start at £91 per week which is cheaper than many universities.

Original poster
F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:27

Taylorscat · 27/06/2023 06:14

I am a single parent on £38k. I figure my food costs will be less when dd is away plus I save a bit monthly towards school trips / clothes and also she has music lessons - all of that combined should give me £200-250 to transfer to uni support instead- do you have anything like that that you won’t be spending with her away that you can redirect? Any more she will have to earn herself. (Oxbridge say you can’t work during term time though which is another example of their elitism !)

Yes she does some clubs but they don't amount to much. She only buys second hand clothes etc (her choice)

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gegs73 · 27/06/2023 06:29

DS1 has just finished his first year of uni on the minimum maintenance loan. We are extremely lucky that he without realising picked a cheap accommodation cost university city. His halls were 4600 a year so the loan amount, and his 2nd year accommodation is 100 a week including bills so just over the loan amount. Might be worth researching the cheaper cities/towns as some places are extortionate.

lilsupersparks · 27/06/2023 06:29

When I was at university I worked first in a Supermarket then got a job in a local library. Also cafes and bars etc need people in the kitchens?
I lived the student life of baked beans, toast and noodles. I didn’t go out much and I spent very little on clothes etc.
it amazed me how many peoples parents paid their phone contracts, bought them a ‘big shop’ at the beginning of term and paid their rent.

HelloUtrecht · 27/06/2023 06:30

My parents paid nothing. I had two part time jobs and lived frugally.

Original poster
F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:31

HelloUtrecht · 27/06/2023 06:30

My parents paid nothing. I had two part time jobs and lived frugally.

Did you feel resentful towards your parents?

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Caramellois · 27/06/2023 06:32

My son had to study at a university 500 miles away as it was the only one that had the course he was studying and it was insanely competitive to get into the programme. He borrowed his fees and we paid his accommodation. He is back in his home city continuing his hospital training and with a part-time job. It was very expensive living away from home - rent, food, bills, commuting, travel home etc so if your child can study in their home city it is a much cheaper option. My parents were working class and going to a university in a different city would have been completely unthought of for me. I've no complaints about that - it was a beautiful campus and I made life long friends, got a great education and it set me up for a lucrative career. One of my university friends introduced me to my husband.

Remember your DD should think about the possible career at the end of it. I would prioritise a vocational degree such as law or medicine above a more amorphous arts degree. Actually in the UK, you might want to scratch medicine. My son tells me horror stories about what UK junior doctors earn. (A junior doctor by the way could well be in their thirties and they are not student doctors.)

It is probably worth seeing if there are any scholarships that your daughter might apply for - there are loads of them for the oddest classes of beneficiaries. One of my son's friends got her entire engineering degree paid for by some scholarship she stumbled over and applied for.

Original poster
F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:33

I'm crying now. Really feel shit

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Original poster
F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:34

Caramellois · 27/06/2023 06:32

My son had to study at a university 500 miles away as it was the only one that had the course he was studying and it was insanely competitive to get into the programme. He borrowed his fees and we paid his accommodation. He is back in his home city continuing his hospital training and with a part-time job. It was very expensive living away from home - rent, food, bills, commuting, travel home etc so if your child can study in their home city it is a much cheaper option. My parents were working class and going to a university in a different city would have been completely unthought of for me. I've no complaints about that - it was a beautiful campus and I made life long friends, got a great education and it set me up for a lucrative career. One of my university friends introduced me to my husband.

Remember your DD should think about the possible career at the end of it. I would prioritise a vocational degree such as law or medicine above a more amorphous arts degree. Actually in the UK, you might want to scratch medicine. My son tells me horror stories about what UK junior doctors earn. (A junior doctor by the way could well be in their thirties and they are not student doctors.)

It is probably worth seeing if there are any scholarships that your daughter might apply for - there are loads of them for the oddest classes of beneficiaries. One of my son's friends got her entire engineering degree paid for by some scholarship she stumbled over and applied for.

She is hoping to do computer science. We thought that would be good for getting a job

OP posts:
Caramellois · 27/06/2023 06:37

@F0XCUB88 You shouldn't feel shit. Your DD may well be absolutely fine with loans and/or maybe a part-time job. I worked factory jobs in the breaks to get me through law school. I handed over my money for the household budget. My parents were great and encouraging even if they didn't have a lot of money. I am grateful for all they did for me.

RedHelenB · 27/06/2023 06:37

F0XCUB88 · 27/06/2023 06:08

Cheapest halls I saw were £137 per week

Usually they only pay during term time

RattyHealy · 27/06/2023 06:37

I find it really surprising/shocking that these conversations haven't happened before now!
She's 17 ffs, both she and you needed to have talked about what's affordable, done lots of research and started thinking about her earning some money towards it too.
Managing her expectations would have been important. If living away is dependent on her having a certain amount per month then she can decide whether to take a year out and work her arse off to save and achieve that.

This can't all have come as a total surprise? Especially not if you've spent any time on Mumsnet.

I'm not having a go because you haven't saved because not every family can but I do think you've let her down by not thinking about this stuff and having those conversations.

Taylorscat · 27/06/2023 06:37

Don’t panic, you might not need that much. I’m open to getting a second evening or weekend job if I need to as well to help dd , it’s only for 3 years. There will be a way and it might not be as bad as you think .