Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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

DS not wanting to return to uni

100 replies

healthadvice123 · 06/08/2023 23:33

Ds just announced not going back to uni ( just completed year one) he said he didn’t enjoy the course and now he has decided things he wants to do he doesn’t need a degree and the debt that goes with it. He has a been real hard work last month or two but since saying this it does seem like a weight lifted of his shoulders. Issue is he has signed and paid large deposit and first months rent on large houseshare and we are guarantors, he has a part time job and says he will get a full time one to cover the rent which is £470 ish a month and will have to still pay share of bills as not the others fault. I have read that sometimes if you can find someone to take the room thats allowed , although contract is not clear.
tried speaking to him to take a few more weeks to decide but he is adamant its really not for him, said he felt this way most of the time , although to us it looked like he was enjoying it and up until now all talk was of going back.
he even applied for student loan but something seems to if changed and he made decision he is def not going back.
any advice would be greatly appreciated,we want him to be happy but also not to regret this later on.

OP posts:
kitchenhelprequired · 07/08/2023 02:12

I would recommend you or he join the What I Wish I Knew about University Facebook group and post details of the house. There are lots of similar posts. On the council tax front he will be liable for the whole property less single occupancy discount. Students get exemptions but the minute any one of them isn't the whole house is triggered. There are no void periods for council tax anymore which is also why most contracts are for a full year as LL would be responsible for CT between tenancies. It's also something to think about with final year accommodation - exemption ends on the final day of course and CT will be due until the tenancy ends.

Original poster
healthadvice123 · 07/08/2023 08:33

@kitchenhelprequired thank you for explaining that , its so silly when for years people with multiple homes have paid put so little, its a large house so hate to think how much ctax is, would he be entitled to help though towards ot if the worse comes to worse as his wages would not cover it at present, so would he be entitled to uc . Its just so expensive for the now and i think this is also another factor in his decision and the way his course times were last year it made it hard to get a part time job so has had to rely on summer income and its been real tough for him to get a tenp job around here, all the temp ones want min 6 month or so. He finally has a job . This year also has to do a 6 week full time placement so no job will allow that time off

OP posts:
Original poster
healthadvice123 · 07/08/2023 08:36

@kitchenhelprequired thats rubbish re: ctax final year as well , but doesn’t surprise me with this goverment, the students totally forgotten in all Cost of living crisis, the loan amount went up by a pittance , when accommodation and bills has gone sky high

OP posts:
mumonthehill · 07/08/2023 08:42

look if he is done then you just have to let him find a different path. You are right you cannot force him to continue. I would check the council tax as if he is on the tenancy and working and not registered as a student they will have to pay. Ds has just had this as final year and they have had to pay from when they officially stopped being students until the end of their house tenancy which is about 2 months. When he wanted his girlfriend to move in earlier in the year this would have also made them eligible to pay as she was no longer a student and working.

MossCow · 07/08/2023 08:52

My dd had someone pull out of her house share for the place they are going in to next year.

They all asked around their friends and course mates and they did find someone else eventually but of course the new person has to have guarantors that will pass the checks etc. So that held things up a bit but it was sorted out eventually.

RudsyFarmer · 07/08/2023 08:53

It’s his life I suppose. As long as he’s not leaving you with a pile of debts then there’s little point in forcing him to go back to Uni is there?

Needmoresleep · 07/08/2023 09:11

It sounds like he thought hard about this. University is not for everyone. He will still have three years funding available so can always go back.

He can find a replacement if all the signatories on the contract agree. So fellow flatmates and the landlord. The landlord is likely to want to be reassured that the person has a guarantor or, if working, the person has references. There will be people looking, but get advertising soon. If the person is working they will need to pay single persons council tax.

The sequence probably is to discuss with flatmates. Then check with landlord/ letting agent that a swap is ok, and what he will expect in terms of guarantor/references, then get advertising.

Yalta · 07/08/2023 09:20

I think getting a replacement to take over the room should be a priority as it will cost him each month it is empty
I wouldn’t leave it up to the other housemates to find someone but be proactive advertising the room on every board he can find.

My dc have a few friends who regretted going to university and wanted to leave and a few who didn’t need or want to go in the first place but were forced to by their parents.
All feel they would be much further along in their careers if they hadn't gone to university in the first place or left when they realised that it wasn’t for them

Seeline · 07/08/2023 09:29

I think if he is the only non-student, he would be eligible for the 25% single person reduction for council tax.

Agree, that after results day there are likely to be Freshers wanting accommodation - especially if coming through clearing where they may not be guaranteed halls.

If there are other unis etc in the same location try posting on their boards too.

drivinmecrazy · 07/08/2023 09:53

I think your DS sounds as if he has considered his situation and shown maturity and strength which will only benefit them.
DD had a different situation in that she was about to head into her third out of four year degree.
She was supposed to be spending a year abroad but MH issues meant it wasn't going to happen.
We weren't happy but she dealt with everything, negotiated with uni to get her onto fourth year with a waver and sorted accommodation at the last minute.
Resulted in her getting a lower degree classification than she should/would of had.
But I could not be prouder.
She learnt more about life and her capabilities than that third year would have ever given her.
So although the circumstances are like apples and oranges, I'd be incredibly proud of your young person.
Sounds as if you've raised a wonderful human who is strong enough to know their own mind.
Life often takes an acute swerve from the plan but it's how we deal with those moments that make us stronger

skippy67 · 07/08/2023 10:01

My dd was kicked off her course last year. Nightmare at the time but we're getting there. She did get a bill for council tax

Bouledeneige · 07/08/2023 12:12

Not trying to muddy the waters but my DD took over the room of a uni friend who was working but the rest of the tenants were students. The landlord refused a transfer to her but she moved in anyway and just paid her friend and he paid the landlord. Her friend never registered for council tax and so the council never knew about it. DD made sure she had sufficient funds to pay it if necessary.

Anyway, that's not the point. I also agree you can't force a grown up to complete a course they no longer want to do. There's no point getting an even larger student debt and then risk failing to complete later. It's important though that you establish that is what they really want to do and support them to make decisions about what to do next.

VanCleefArpels · 07/08/2023 12:32

First call is to the letting agency - they may have a list of applicants

Also speak to SU who may have a list of applicants

Use Uni social media to advertise the room

Uni accommodation situation being as it is you may even be able to mop up some clearing student who can’t find Halls

lanthanum · 07/08/2023 17:27

murasaki · 06/08/2023 23:44

There will be council tax implications for the house if he's not a student and still on the tenancy,, he will need to pay all of that.

Only if he's living there. If he's just paying towards the unoccupied room, I think they should be okay, as everyone living there will be a student. But it is indeed something to be aware of if he plans to live there as a non-student, as there will be 75% council tax to pay.

Motheranddaughter · 07/08/2023 20:43

Absolutely his choice
And he has to take the consequences
Definitely don’t push him to continue

Original poster
healthadvice123 · 07/08/2023 20:50

@Motheranddaughter there is no pushing him and its prob better jow than a term or two into year 2, just wished he had decided when he came back beginning june. He has a couple plans in place long term and part time job for now and asking for more hours in the short term whilst he persues his other options.
i don’t think its the best option and would prefer him to stay but it is his life and his choice and sometimes we have to make our own mistakes. He seems happier in himself since making the decision so think its being weighing on his mind all summer and not a decision he made lightly, just kept us all in the dark.

OP posts:
PineappleMint · 07/08/2023 20:51

You’ve had some great advice but just one thing to add - you might want to ask if he’s decided to drop out or whether he’s failed one or more modules and that’s prompted the decision. He may only just have found out, or it’s getting close to his resit date and he doesn’t feel like he can do it. The only reason for mentioning it is if he’s seemed happy before, he may not have explored all the options with the uni. (Young people aren’t always good at doing that, they’d rather drop out than have a conversation about the options!). He might be able to repeat the modules he has failed instead of doing his second year, or repeat the first year again, for example. If he genuinely doesn’t feel it’s for him that’s absolutely fine and fingers crossed you can find someone to take over his room.

Original poster
healthadvice123 · 07/08/2023 20:54

@lanthanum no plans to live there , but wanted to pay as to not let down his room mates but its a lot of money so silly if he can find someone else. Will ask agency about ctax implications incase he is stuck with the room. He couldn’t pay it even with a full time job really as would be about £900 for ctax and rent, and be lucky if he can being home a £1000 a month in short term o

OP posts:
FishNetz · 07/08/2023 21:02

Hats off to him, he has the courage to stop doing something he is unhappy with. In your shoes I’d support him to get some professional careers advice and potentially look at apprenticeships where he can earn and qualify for a career.

GodessOfThunder · 07/08/2023 21:56

Shouldn’t be too hard to rent it to someone else

mondaytosunday · 08/08/2023 13:20

With the council tax - my understanding is that if a student they don't pay, if a student living at home they are still exempt so if the other adult (a parent) is getting the single persons discount then they can still get it. So I don't see why one person in a mixed student/non student house would affect them all. So HE would be liable for tax but still get a discount, the others, if students, would not have to pay.
I left after a year at uni. It just was not the right course. I also kept it to myself until the last minute snd had a tearful talk with my parents that I didn't want to go back. I worked snd travelled for a year then eventually got a degree in a totally different field.
A degree is not the be all and certainly not the end all. He's what, 19? I'd let him take the time to work and figure out his next step.

TizerorFizz · 08/08/2023 15:37

He’s 20. Already had a year out. He obviously must sort out the council tax implications (I think he will pay but at a discounted rate) and needs to find a student to take his place. If he doesn’t, you or he might well be paying for the room if he’s in it or not. I’m not impressed with his planning and financIal nous. Who’s paying off the loan for y1? Why is he so risk averse re a student loan? Does he know that it’s a grad tax snd when you pay and when you don’t? He doesn’t sound indigenes.

Seems late in the day to make this decision and part time work isn’t much of a plan.

Tinytigertail · 08/08/2023 15:58

My DD did this, it was absolutely the right thing for her. She actually went to a different uni and on a different course a year later and has just graduated with a first and is starting a job. She found a student to take over her tenancy and the EA sorted the rest and returned her deposit.

MarchingFrogs · 08/08/2023 19:28

With the council tax - my understanding is that if a student they don't pay, if a student living at home they are still exempt so if the other adult (a parent) is getting the single persons discount then they can still get it. So I don't see why one person in a mixed student/non student house would affect them all. So HE would be liable for tax but still get a discount, the others, if students, would not have to pay.

The discount for only one person being liable to pay is 25%. True, having one housemate who is the cause of CT being due on the property won't affect the others - but equally, not being liable themselves, they are unlikely to feel driven to offer to help him out by contributing towards the CT, so the whole of the 75% of the CT on a sizeable property will be the OP's DS's responsibility.