Undergraduate student costs 2025

[Periodicnamechanger]

Has anyone got any thoughts on realistic cost of living figures for students going off to university next month? Aside from accommodation, I was thinking £125pw which would have to cover food, clothes, books, toiletries, washing, transport and socialising…. Is that too much? Too little? Last year’s figures in the thread look quite low. I don’t want to get into the source of funds right now.

seems quite generous, but depends which university: living and socialising in London is going to be considerably more expensive that Coventry. My Dd spends about £50 per week on food, has an annual gym/sports membership so that covers most entertainment for her, washing machine is free in her hall of residence…etc

Total how long is a piece of string question.

Which uni is he going to, does he have expensive hobbies, does he drink…

DS will be getting rent paid and £300 per month. He will have access to long-term savings from CTF/allowance in sixth form/GPs/PT job in sixth form that he can use for top-ups if needed.

DD will be getting £100 per week after accommodation. She’ll be in Edinburgh.

Depends a lot on how they socialise and whether they drink alcohol. Can they walk to lectures or need to take a bus? Laundry in halls is expensive (DC paid about £6 per load). The minimum loan for living expenses with parents paying accommodation is about right if self-catering. The first few weeks could be more if they join lots of societies but will settle down as workload increases before Christmas parties later on in term.

It depends what the £125 has to cover @Periodicnamechanger and what you are buying and paying for. My DDs were not great regular drinkers but liked student discount evenings and students pre load in halls anyway. So not that expensive. Dc also find their tribe and some go out and some don’t. Some are more like hermits.

Sport costs and socialising after sport is normal. Food, coffees and generally looking after yourself costs money as does any journey home, or to see friends elsewhere. What about the phone costs? Who is paying for that?

Then there’s clothes. MN students don’t buy any. My DDs did. Who is paying for the new boots and a winter coat? What about a haircut or various subscriptions they need? It all adds up and we budgeted upwards from £0 taking into account that we paid for the phone and other things. Dc still overspent!

Thanks for your replies. We’ll continue to pay his phone contract but I hadn’t taken into account a gym membership. Not a big drinker but seems to find ways of spending money online…

Dd will have £100 a week to cover food, clothes, hair, make up, socialising, art supplies. She won’t need any transport and laundry and gym is included in her accommodation. She doesn’t drink but does need gluten free food.

I’ll pay her phone.

Hopefully she can manage, she’ll have to stop her ASOS habit for sure. Or get a job but that’s easier said than done these days.

It varies a lot, our DD is a relatively high spender at around £200 a week plus accomodation and also spends money she earns working, maybe £8k a year. She doesn't drink much but spends a lot on rowing and rowing camps, balls, clothes, socialising, travel, a bike, phone. We pay accomodation, tuition and £450 a month. She uses min maintenance loan.