Page 5 | 2 kids at uni at same time … help!!!

PansyOatZebra · 29/02/2024 10:55

My parents supported both my brother and I through uni and there was an overlap.

My mum gave each of us £120 a month and then we worked. My brother worked part time during his course whereas I chose to work during holidays and just stashed the cash.

Original poster

Lollypop701 · 29/02/2024 10:56

Although Manchester was on list didn’t get offers

OP posts:

Ilikefood1234 · 29/02/2024 11:00

Lollypop701 · 29/02/2024 10:56

Although Manchester was on list didn’t get offers

Ah ok. I understand now. I'm not from the north. But is it possible to commute from your current home to Leeds/York? Train wise does it work?

I wish all the best for Ur DD

wombat15 · 29/02/2024 11:02

You may find that you have more disposible income when both are at university if there are no other DC at home. That is what we found (have two there now). I found we spend less on energy bills, food, cloths etc now that it is DH and I at home. It hasn't made up the whole extra costs but paying for two isn't as bad as I thought.

Original poster

Lollypop701 · 29/02/2024 11:02

Ilikefood1234 · 29/02/2024 11:00

Ah ok. I understand now. I'm not from the north. But is it possible to commute from your current home to Leeds/York? Train wise does it work?

I wish all the best for Ur DD

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Unfortunately not an option trains are extortionate and unreliable

OP posts:

shearwater2 · 29/02/2024 11:03

Yeah, commuting over the Pennines is rubbish.

Maybeicanhelpyou · 29/02/2024 11:15

@Lollypop701
i have one at York, accommodation costs are really high, sorry.

Mountainclimber50 · 29/02/2024 11:17

TippingPointing · 29/02/2024 10:37

Are there 0% credit cards available for longer than a year? I can't find any that don't start charging interest on the balanced owed after a year but maybe I am looking in the wrong place. This would be helpful for me if I could do this.
Thanks

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Barclays, MBNA I think Virgin too. Was 21 months but that was last year may have changed now.

It also depends on your credit score the time increases the better score you have.

Original poster

Lollypop701 · 29/02/2024 11:32

Maybeicanhelpyou · 29/02/2024 11:15

@Lollypop701
i have one at York, accommodation costs are really high, sorry.

Well at least I know that it doesn’t matter which one she chooses 🙈

OP posts:

wombat15 · 29/02/2024 11:35

Maybeicanhelpyou · 29/02/2024 11:15

@Lollypop701
i have one at York, accommodation costs are really high, sorry.

I think they have some budget options for the halls.

Original poster

Lollypop701 · 29/02/2024 11:36

financials are work for weekend. My ds is already offering to be less financially supported as his job is good and can work more over summer so that’s a start.

OP posts:

NewFriendlyLadybird · 29/02/2024 11:38

Lollypop701 · 28/02/2024 20:56

Eldest is already at university in Leeds and got minimal loan so we top up accommodation and give him living expenses each month. He deferred for a year.

Dd is applying for September… I really don’t think we can afford to fund them both at same time and will be for 2 years. Anyone any idea how it works. I don’t know what to do, how do I tell dd she can’t go

You may find that they both get more than the minimum loan, if they are both at university at the same time.
You could encourage your daughter to take a gap year, which would enable her to work and save up some money. But you will have to work out something because you absolutely can’t tell her she can’t go to university.

user120405 · 29/02/2024 11:43

You may find that they both get more than the minimum loan, if they are both at university at the same time.

It doesn't;t work like that

Maybeicanhelpyou · 29/02/2024 11:44

wombat15 · 29/02/2024 11:35

I think they have some budget options for the halls.

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They do. But my dd didn’t get allocated one!! She got way down on her preference list!

mydrivingisterrible · 29/02/2024 11:53

modgepodge · 29/02/2024 07:53

Yes I came to say exactly this. It’s so sad to hear people say ‘uni is a luxury some cannot afford’. When I went to uni in 2005 it was a case of everyone could afford to go by taking a loan and there were grants available for the poorest and parents were expected to top up a bit.

but from memory, the minimum loan was a bit over £3k (plus a separate loan for fees). My accommodation including food was just under that amount, meaning any grant/parental contribution/part time work funded living costs.

I got the minimum loan due to my dads high income, and my dad topped me up to the maximum loan amount (about £3k per year perhaps) and I worked in the holidays. I didn’t need a term time job and didn’t have to scrimp and save that much.

that was almost 20 years ago. The fact the loan has only gone up £1k in that time is madness, as living costs have gone through the roof! Also, my dad earning over £60k 20
years ago genuinely meant he was quite a high earner and it was fair he should be expected to contribute a bit . The fact that amount hasn’t shifted upwards significantly as well is madness, £60k wouldn’t go anywhere near as far these days.

it’s just jot acceptable in my view that university is not accessible to some due to costs 😔 sure there are degree apprenticeships and other career paths available but plenty of careers (teacher, doctor, dentist, lawyer just off the top of my head) rightly require a degree and nothing less.

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Yeah I agree 100%.

When I went to uni in 2006 I didn't have money from parents. I didn't work.

The student loan and grant I received then were enough.

Shinyandnew1 · 29/02/2024 11:54

You may find that they both get more than the minimum loan, if they are both at university at the same time.

You are the second poster to write this one this thread. It isn’t true. The student loans company don’t have if you have 3 kids at university, astronomical childcare bills or a large mortgage.

secondscreen · 29/02/2024 11:56

Did your eldest work in their year out and if not, why not? Can younger one defer for a year and work/save?

wombat15 · 29/02/2024 11:57

Maybeicanhelpyou · 29/02/2024 11:44

They do. But my dd didn’t get allocated one!! She got way down on her preference list!

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That is a shame. I think that happens to quite a few students unfortunately.

Maybeicanhelpyou · 29/02/2024 12:06

wombat15 · 29/02/2024 11:57

That is a shame. I think that happens to quite a few students unfortunately.

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C’est la vie!

Onceuponatime46 · 29/02/2024 14:33

This is an interesting thread so thanks for all the info.

I am two years away from one going to uni and then second child will follow two years later. So I’m thinking I need to start preparing now. £100 a month to start with. Sounds like we’ll need to supplement loans etc by at least a few thousand pounds a year. I hadn’t even thought about this.

NewFriendlyLadybird · 29/02/2024 15:34

user120405 · 29/02/2024 11:43

You may find that they both get more than the minimum loan, if they are both at university at the same time.

It doesn't;t work like that

Doesn’t it? I only have one child at uni at the moment, but they ask if we’re supporting other children. I assumed it would make a difference, unless one’s income was very large.

user120405 · 29/02/2024 15:41

NewFriendlyLadybird · 29/02/2024 15:34

Doesn’t it? I only have one child at uni at the moment, but they ask if we’re supporting other children. I assumed it would make a difference, unless one’s income was very large.

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No, it makes no difference whatsoever so ready yourself for that. In all likelihood your second DC's loan will be exactly the same as that of your first DC (unless one is in London and one is outside of London)

Shinyandnew1 · 29/02/2024 15:44

NewFriendlyLadybird · 29/02/2024 15:34

Doesn’t it? I only have one child at uni at the moment, but they ask if we’re supporting other children. I assumed it would make a difference, unless one’s income was very large.

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No, it doesn’t make a difference at all.

NewFriendlyLadybird · 29/02/2024 15:47

Shinyandnew1 · 29/02/2024 11:54

You may find that they both get more than the minimum loan, if they are both at university at the same time.

You are the second poster to write this one this thread. It isn’t true. The student loans company don’t have if you have 3 kids at university, astronomical childcare bills or a large mortgage.

It says on the gov.uk website, ‘different rules apply if you have a brother, sister or parent who is also getting student finance. We’ll work out your household contribution before it is shared between you and the other students in your family. In normal circumstances, it’ll be shared out equally.’

Shinyandnew1 · 29/02/2024 15:52

NewFriendlyLadybird · 29/02/2024 15:47

It says on the gov.uk website, ‘different rules apply if you have a brother, sister or parent who is also getting student finance. We’ll work out your household contribution before it is shared between you and the other students in your family. In normal circumstances, it’ll be shared out equally.’

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Well good luck trying -it hasn’t made a blind bit of difference for us. Both children got exactly the same as the single one did the year before.

Martin Lewis has written quite a lot on this and the advice he gives is, if you’ve got more than one child at university at once, you need to save, save, save in advance.