Don't know whether to go to uni - can't afford to survive on student loan?

[MummytoCSJH]

This will be a medium-long post, before you start reading

I am 19 with a 3yo DS. His father and I are not together but he goes there every other weekend as he lives about 70 miles away. I have just finished college and get my A Level results next week. The uni I want to go to has given me an place (as have others), but it is in Liverpool. This is the only university that does the course I want. I am near Leeds. I will have to commute every day because I currently rent a house and obviously my son cannot come into student accommodation with me. Due to my own health issues I need to be close to family, so renting in Liverpool isn't really an option. However student loans being classed as income, I will no longer get as much housing benefit and no income support. Even though I have sent a detailed break down of my loan, HB won't give me a 'hypothetical amount'. But I kind of need to know before I accept the loan - to know if I can afford to go. My travel is going to cost around £6,000 a year. My loan is £9,600 in total. The remainder does not cover rent in the worst scenario (no HB), bills, 15% of childcare and other essentials for both of us. Obviously I will still get Child Benefit and Tax credits for my son and the childcare grant does cover 85% of the cost of childcare I need. The university offer special support which is can apply for - ONCE I'm at the uni. If I did that and they deny me help then I am in debt for nothing. I have spoken to DWP, Student Finance and The university financial advisors and they're all clueless or telling me I definitely won't be worse off. But I've been applying and working this out for over a year and if my calculations are correct and the online HB calculator is right then I simply can't afford to go.
I really don't know what to do. The only job I've had was a family business one, I don't have much experience although I have volunteered. Because of my health issues jobs I have applied for say they can't insure me at the time being. I am on a waiting list for surgery for this issue.

My options are

• accept loan, go to uni, all goes well and I get some extra HB and therefore can just about scrape the barrel for 3 years
• accept loan, go to uni, can't afford everything and therefore have to quit leaving me in debt for a qualification I never got
• apply to a closer uni next year for a course I don't want, be miserable for 3 years (and the rest of my life) knowing it's not what I really want to do with my life, but be financially okay
• don't go to uni, keep trying to get a job with little experience and worsening health issues
• don't go to uni, stay on benefits, never do better

I don't want to be a mum who just sits on benefits because I am not like that. I went into parenthood with my eyes wide open, knowing it would be hard - but how can they expect people to do better when there is literally no way nor support to do so?!

Is anyone else a single parent on uni who gets a loan? How do you deal with this?

Gee, sorry about the formatting. I'm on the app and did not write it like that at all! Paragraphs, please?

Does your ex pay maintenance? Some unis have family accommodation , usually aimed at mature students. There is usually more than one way to achieve qualifications and a career, what is it you want to do?

LIZS, no he doesn't and he isn't required to because he has my son for the equivalent of one night a week. Yeah, I have looked into that but I'm undergrad. I spoke to Durham as they do a similar course but got told it's for mature students only. The course is Forensic Anthropology, and it is 100% what I want to do and what I have wanted to do since being young. I doubt I could do anything else without knowing it's not what I was meant to do and being miserable because of it. I've been searching and found the Open University do an open degree so I could do a mix of biology and law (and do a forensic anthropology masters) but I wonder if OU degrees are as respected as one from an actual university and if it will be worth that £9,000 a year.

Do you need a degree to do what you want to do?

How long is your commute? I was in a similar situation to you and a round trip was 4 - 6 hours a day. I was also unlucky in that in the whole 3 years, I didn't get a day off.

I did ok, but I didn't achieve my true potential as the commute was too much, on top of parenting, housekeeping etc etc.

Your ex is still required to pay maintenance even if he has him one night a week.

What's the course that's so unique you can only do it in Liverpool. You're within throwing distance of numerous great universities in Leeds, they must cover pretty much every course going?

I'd be inclined to wait a year and go to Leeds or at least a nearer uni. That gives you a year to save and prepare as well.

Your ex needs to pay maintenance unless there's a 50/50 split

Undergrads are classed as full time but when I went, I usually would be actually in lessons about 10-15 hours a week, if you put your child in full time nursery you could also work to supplement income, and apply for the childcare grant which covers 85% which is more than tax credits.

You'll still be able to receive housing benefit, child tax credits & child benefit.

I've just finished a pgce in Liverpool as a lone parent with a similar commute & yes I was stuck for money a lot but that was down to poor budgeting. I realised quick that as soon as my loans went in, to pay rent & childcare in advance & use my other income from benefits for food shopping, petrol etc. Alot of people your age would run up debts on the social life (I did!) & although I wouldn't recommend it, if you ever were truly stuck there are student overdrafts that are 0% interest to consider.

If this is what you want to do, do it. The rewards will be immense & as long as the logistics around childcare are sorted, the commute will be a part of your day where you can relax (I loved the silence!)

I think the logistics will be defeating and soon take the edge off your enthusiasm. Is this course proven and established enough to lead to good employment prospects? What do you hope to do? OU would be more manageable in your circumstances as you could also work and your independent approach would be valued by potential employers. Agree ex still needs to pay.

Why can't your ds go with you? Most universities have family accommodation, and if there isn't any (to be honest you should have looked into this months ago...) why can't you just rent a flat there?

OU is very well regarded though, and if you were to start in two years time as a part time student you'd be eligible for a maintenance loan.

Alternatively look at closer universities, Bradford do a very similar course for example.

By the way, not knocking your ambition at all! I have no doubt that you can do all the juggling, and that it will be the right thing for you and your son. I have seen several friends go through uni as young parents and they all amazed me, and in every case it set them on track for great careers. However, it is worth (if necessary) waiting another year or compromising slightly on courses to get the logistics as smooth as they can be.

You sound a lot more mature than I was at your age, so assume you have looked into likelihood of these courses getting you employment in your chosen field/ whether further study will be required? I just wafted into uni doing a course I liked without much thought for what came after, and still feel annoyed no one gave me a reality check (ended up doing 2 further years of study after my degree!)

I am grateful for the suggestions, but not sure some of you read my full post.
I’ve been to CMS several times and they have confirmed he doesn’t have to pay anything.
Yes I need a degree to do what I want to do as it's a science and I don’t want to be in entry level for the rest of my life. The commute will be up to 2 hours either way, obviously another thing I am worried about aside from cost.
The course is Forensic Anthropology. There are unis around which do similar courses but they are either not accredited or won’t get me where I want to be due to modules that I want to do. None of Leeds universities do this (else I would have applied there…).
I can’t work due to my health issues and yes it is around 15 hours teaching time a week, but then obviously there's the commuting and the study outside of uni to think about. I can’t afford to put him into full time nursery (childminder is cheaper), he is going part time in September and the childcare grant will pay for the rest of the time at the childminder who he has been going to for the past 2 years whilst I was at college. I am not too worried about that as I know her well and she will be helpful and lenient, plus my son is already settled with her. I am aware I should be entitled to some HB but not all of it they have told me, but won’t give me an amount.
This course is accredited and leads to good prospects the uni and specifically tutors which run the course have a lot of links worldwide. Ideally I want to work in the US as there is a lot more call for it there, the main tutor sends students over there every year on placements as she used to work with the FBI there doing exactly what it is I want to do herself and this has lead to work and further study over there for a lot of them.
I've been looking into it for the past year and a half, there is no need to be rude. I've only just joined MN therefore why I have asked now and not before. I know everything there is to know and it's still not enough for me to make a decision due to so little support for people like me. Most do not, few do actually, and those that do are for mature students. As I said in my original post I cannot move there as I have serious and deteriorating health problems which I am on the waiting list for surgery in my local area for. Bradford's course is not accredited so worth nothing in industry. I actually did apply there before realising that
I have found out you can't use the full time tuition fee loan or get the maintenence loan whilst stuying at OU so that's out of the question now.

NTN, I'm absolutely looking at waiting another year now (because I need to sort out my health issues first) or would go to a closer uni if there was one, but after almost a year and half of searching I'm beginning to give up hope. I don't have biology / chemistry a level (Medical Sciences BTEC, Law A Level and English Language A Level) so can't do a biology degree which is a bummer as I could have taken that and done anthropology later. It was very helpful in learning to manage my time and I have a portfolio of work now too. If I do a different degree I will have a do a post-grad to be able to do my chosen career, which I would willingly do but obviously I would like to get out of the situation I am in asap, not just for me but for my son as well if there is a way.

Does the dad work ? He should be paying something even if it's just a £5 out if benefits. Could he have him for more days to make it easier for you ? It's a really long commute and TBH I think you might struggle.

Without wishing to be rude but if you need local family support due to health issues and are unable to work at present, how would you manage an overseas placement? It is one thing to have these on offer but quite another to manage the financial and logistical issues of doing so.

A 2 hour commute would be a nightmare for most, let alone knowing you need to then meet the needs of a preschooler. How is the teaching structured, is it 3 hours everyday or over 2/3 days. That would make a difference to the cost and time spent commuting, or may even mean that staying overnight nearby could work if you have family or ex to have ds overnight. Finally accreditations and modules change, your options may be different in a few years' time.

He works 3 cash in hand jobs whilst on job seekers, and yes I have reported this they said they can't prove it. Based on that and the fact that he has 'shared care', he isn't required to pay. He can't have him for longer as he lives near Hull so when DS goes to nursery it will be even less time (weekends only). I'm really not worried about the commute or even childcare as I will get a grant for a percentage of that. Mostly surviving on student loan and if it is even worth the hassle.

The OU wouldn't be accredited either.... but you do get your fees paid, and as I said if you waited two years you'd get a maintenance loan too.

Huddersfield offer an accredited course and have vacancies and they're much nearer.

The placement is in 2nd/3rd year so I will have had my surgery by then (if not there will be major problems lol). And it's all paid for, so nothing to worry about financially.
They don't have a full timetable but you have at least 1 day off a week which is obviously good, then it just depends on how they arrange it year by year, the cost commuting is a season ticket as it is even more expensive paying daily so it won't really make a difference to cost despite how it is structured. I could maybe look into that but my family situation is difficult. My Mum would have had my son whilst I moved into student accomodation but I can't be away from him for 3 years plus I wouldn't get any money to support him if I wasn't living with him, and mum can't claim because she'd be over the benefit cap (she has 3 other children one of which is also 3).
If things change obviously I'll be looking at those, but I can't sit on my arse for the next few years hoping they will. I don't want to be the teen mummy dole scrounger that people seem to judge me as even though I'm doing everything I can to make it right and do better.

The OU degrees are accredited if you do a named one, but I don't want to do part time and you can't get full time paid. I don't meet the entry requirements for Hudds unfortunately.

And no, I don't want to do a foundation year when I have the entry requirements for the actual course I want to do. Else what would be the point in the past 2 years of hard work for my A Levels?

From my experience - going from benefits as a single parent of a 3yo - to a FT student I am a lot better off. I've had to go back onto IS for the summer break and boy I am noticing the difference.

I know a lot will depend on variables like how much your rent is and how much maintenance you'll get, but honestly, it's perfectly doable :)

Thank you, FoofFighter

If you wanted it enough you would take a longer route if it meant you could do the course and care for your son properly.

Re your maintenance loan it will be in two parts deduct the " special support element " which is the means tested amount. The figure you are left with is your income for housing benefit purposes. You will not get childcare from tax credits but you will get a childcare grant from the university.
Have you thought about applying for housing in Liverpool? I could pm you the name of a housing association where you will only wait 2-4 months for a house.

I'd love to have studied forensic anthropology, so I'm entirely envious.

I think it's possible to make it work - but that it's going to hard work. There are hardship loans and grants, and you would be eligible (I don't think you'd be going out on a limb to think that). It's also wonderful that you'd get some childcare costs covered.

I think you do need to look further at accommodation options. Is there no family accommodation in Liverpool? The commute sounds like a bit of a killer tbh - what if your timetable means that you won't get home until late? Is travel more/less expensive than renting elsewhere? I think this is worth trying to problem solve.