Do you help fund your Dc through Uni?

[TheHullabaloo]

Do you help finance your Dc whilst at uni, particularly if they don't get the full maintenance loan due to parental income, or do you think as they are adults, and choosing to go to uni, they should work alongside studying to fund themselves?

You are supposed to support your kids in higher education (if you can).

I pay the accommodation.

Me too.

Yes of course people should help their kids through university. Why have kids if you don’t want to everything you can to help them get a good education and a good start in life?

I’d love to but I can’t afford to so he took a year out and worked to save money.

Yes for sure.

DD needed little, mainly bc it was Covid and lockdown, and in the end she lived at home for her last year. DS2 needs loads bc the value of the loan has reduced bc of CoL crisis; also his actual loan is a lot less than his sister's bc our household income has gone up a bit; and he eats a lot (sporty!).

That's fine tho. Last year I paid about 3/4 of his rent; he lived off his loan and a Saturday job. This year probs similar - basically I gave him about £4,500 over 12 months.

My son gets full loan and also works 12 hours a week.
I bought him most of the stuff he needed for his room - bedding, kitchen stuff etc
He did give me a contribution to the household budget this summer but not at Christmas or Easter.
I sent him off last week with a food shop, some bits and pieces for his new room and house.
I see him as an adult and financially independent but I try to buy the extras which make life a bit more comfortable

I think, unless there are major exceptional circumstances, you would have to be very cruel to deny your child help after their reduced loan is literally based on your income.

I say this as someone who didn't have a chance to go to uni, but has already begun saving for DSs uni fees in future, if he chooses to go.

£175 per month and my mother kindly gives £75 per month. My ex husband gave £1500 at the start of the year and he and I bought bedding, kitchenware etc for our DC between us. So yes. But we don’t cover everything. DC has loans and holiday job.

Should add, I do think parents should help able, especially as loans are based on parental income.

Of course we do as any reasonable person or parent would do. We have cut back and Dh is retiring later so we can help them out.

The reason they are not receiving the maximum loan is because of our household income. See Martin Lewis and or look up parental contribution. We also have two at Uni for two consecutive years. They both work in the summer holidays and we top up rent and give them both a monthly allowance term time on top of the minimum maintenance loan (which doesn’t even cover rent for many students).

With the cost of living crisis (which also affects students buying food etc) and student accommodation costs at all time high why would we see our children struggle alongside trying to study during term time.

I paid for his accommodation and gave him an allowance. His studies are very full on and I much prefer that he studies than have a job at weekend. This year he is supposed to do a paid internship as part of his course which should help financially.

I should add that he is working during the summer.

We paid the accommodation for our kids.

Yes, we pay for Dc accommodation @ £880 a month. Dc work to pay for living expenses during holidays.

We pay accommodation

Yes of course. I expect my DD to be putting in at least 30 hours a week between lectures and studying. Fortunately she does get close to max maintenance (which still isn't enough time cover accommodation costs), plus a bursary which will make up the difference and be spending money. She does want to get a job, but frankly thousands of students in a small city wanting term time jobs and there may not be any. But I would certainly support her financially if she needs it.

Of course you should help. The loan system as it stands now is designed with a parental contribution built into it. They should make this MUCH clearer and advertise it widely, as it seems to come as a shock to many parents. If your household income is above a certain amount your child is not entitled to the full maintenance loan and instead parents are expected to pay the difference to make it up to what someone from a less well-off family would be entitled to borrow. Why would you choose to put them at a disadvantage, if you are able to pay, just based on principle that they "should" be getting a job?

Of course, if they need or want to spend more than the maximum loan amount equivalent then they will need to get a job (or hope for an even bigger contribution from their parents if they come from a very wealthy family).

I actually think the system is wrong and if you're going to have a loan system everyone should be entitlted to borrow the same amount. They can't on one hand refer to the young person as an independent adult so much so that universities are not even allowed to confirm to a worried parent on the phone that their child is a student there or not, without the young person's permission. And on the other hand make it so that the system connects the young person to their parents' income. Which one is it? They're either an independent adult and should be treated like one, with parents not getting involved at all, OR they're not an independent adult and therefore their parents should be paying the top up and also have the ability to liaise with the uni regarding their child if they are concerned about anything? We've got a hybrid set up at the moment.

Not giving everyone the same maximum loan as a right also means there will always be some family set ups eg blended families with lots of children, where even if the household income is over a certain amount, outgoings are much more than average and they really are very stretched and simply cant' afford to top up any uni costs.

But I've seen far too many posts on Mumsnet where parents have this attitude of "if they want to go to university they need to pay for themselves", yet they refuse to make any parental top up. The irony of their comment - if they DID get the maximum loan they WOULD be paying for themselves (albeit a few years later through their pay packets). It's their parents' higher income that is causing them a disadvantage and not even allowing them to borrow the money.

Yes, dd got minimal loan and I've calculated that we've spent at least £5500, which is a combination of weekly food money and accommodation top ups. Hoping this year will be a bit less as dd is now in a house so not as expensive as halls.

We paid the accommodation and he lived off the minimum maitainance grant.

Dd will get minimum loan due to our (very average) income. Due to mortgage increase and other outgoings we only have £500 disposable income left a month. Her accommodation is £880 alone. She is taking a gap year to work and save but a bit unhappy that she has to do this. Obviously we are not charging her anything for food/board, pay her phone contact for her and will help with food when at uni but sadly can't do much more than this. We did save up a few thousand for her but she desperately wanted to drive so that covered a car and first years insurance.

i am still helping now dd has graduated, when she needs it

Yes. It's expected that's why they get a reduced loan amount.

What’s your view OP? What are you doing for your own?

I’m giving my DD £1250 a semester plus £100 a month. Her father is giving her a lot less (though he could afford more). I also paid all her travel costs (she is studying in a different country), a big shop, bedding/toiletries/decor/TV licence, and I expect to fund other bits and pieces. She gets free off peak gym membership as she’s in uni accommodation but she does a particular sport that isn’t offered there so I expect I’ll stump up for the fees for that when she gets settled and finds a club.

We give 75 a week when at uni. Top up to cover accommodation shortfall, any travel home, mobile. Son gets minimum loan. Luckily in 'cheapish' area. He also works part time In flexible job and has a full on course. Child no 2 starting soon. Our incomes only just above cut off for minimum loan so fortunately have saved for years for this, especially as our mortgage and other outgoings have risen significantly recently.