Who should pay for kids to go to Uni? Kids or parents?

Former_MSE_Andrea · 1 October 2014 at 1:49PM

Should it be up to parents to support their kids through Uni or is that part of teaching kids how to fend for themselves?

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fairy_lights · 1 October 2014 at 1:52PM

Neither - The Student loans company supported me through university. Obviously I will have to pay all the loan money back, but it's not quite the same as fending for myself because I didn't have to worry about money at the time.

millysg1 · 1 October 2014 at 1:53PM

Kids - going to Uni is about learning to look after yourself

Student loans, a bond left to me by my Great grandfather and my own money I earned through working.

Buzzybee90 · 1 October 2014 at 1:59PM

Kids - going to Uni is about learning to look after yourself

The student loans system is flawed, it rewards only those with low income families or divorced/non resident parents.

In an ideal world everyone would get the same.

But what happens is the poorer students get grants and they assume everyone else will get parental help when it's simply not the case.

Idiophreak · 1 October 2014 at 2:00PM

Seriously, there ought to be a third option entitled "the taxpayer".

Beyond that, it's absolutely backward that the amount of money an adult's provided to live on during their education is in any way linked to their parents.

If parents want to help out, they're welcome to, but all students should be permitted to take the same amount of loans.

lulu_92 · 1 October 2014 at 2:14PM

Kids - going to Uni is about learning to look after yourself

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

The student loans system is flawed, it rewards only those with low income families or divorced/non resident parents.

In an ideal world everyone would get the same.

But what happens is the poorer students get grants and they assume everyone else will get parental help when it's simply not the case.

This to a T.

If parents want to help out that's their right, but it should be down to the person who chose to go to university.

I was fortunate enough to live at home for my first year and a half rent-free.

ska_lover · 1 October 2014 at 2:21PM

Kids - going to Uni is about learning to look after yourself

Idiophreak wrote: »

Beyond that, it's absolutely backward that the amount of money an adult's provided to live on during their education is in any way linked to their parents.

If parents want to help out, they're welcome to, but all students should be permitted to take the same amount of loans.

I totally agree with this and to add to the stupidity of the situation, it is linked to what parents earn the tax year before - financially anything can happen in 12 months, pay cuts, redundancy, promotion - but your offsprings loan is based on the year before's income - from a home that they will not even be living in, anymore.

It is a loan, yet they treat it like they are giving money away - why students from poorer families get more, is beyond me. Just because a parent is in a so called higher earning bracket i.e got off their backside and earned, they get penalised for it - and even in the higher earning brackets, doesn't mean that people can afford to fund another adult living independently

minerva_windsong · 1 October 2014 at 2:26PM

Parents - kids need to focus on studying

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

The student loans system is flawed, it rewards only those with low income families or divorced/non resident parents.

In an ideal world everyone would get the same.

But what happens is the poorer students get grants and they assume everyone else will get parental help when it's simply not the case.

Yes I agree. My parents supported me through university, on the understanding I worked in the holidays, and I am immensely grateful to them for that. They also supported my sister through university on the same principle. But whilst they're well off, they're not made of money and I know it wasn't cheap to put two kids through university. For others on lower incomes (even though you will get more money from the government), it can still be a massive struggle - the most you would get is just over £7000 which isn't a lot to cover accommodation, bills, food, books etc. Plus there may be parents who, although they can support their kids at university, simply don't want to.

The other thing I'd like to add is student loans should cover at least the basic cost of accommodation. I went to uni eight years ago and my maintenance loan covered the cost of my halls (self-catered, shared bathroom) and a bit left over. If I was starting uni this year, I'd need to find another £1200 on top of the loan to cover the rent for the same room over the same period.

sulphate · 1 October 2014 at 2:34PM

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

The student loans system is flawed, it rewards only those with low income families or divorced/non resident parents.

In an ideal world everyone would get the same.

But what happens is the poorer students get grants and they assume everyone else will get parental help when it's simply not the case.

Agreed.

Whilst I was at uni my housemate, who had divorced parents, received a large amount in grants and loans for this reason. She saved a lot of it and used it to finance her travels when she finished. She has emigrated and has no interest in earning over the threshold so I doubt it will ever be paid back.

As the system stands now, I think parents should help their children through university only if their finances allow. It amazed me that throughout the 3 years my husband was at uni, they never helped him at all even though they could easily afford it. But I guess that's just a difference in values, my family's priority has always been the education of their children.

sinizterguy · 1 October 2014 at 2:35PM

Depends on each family's views, values and finances.

There is no right answer to this.

I will be paying all uni fees for my two children, same as my parents did for me and my brother.

firefly5 · 1 October 2014 at 3:28PM

I would like to be able to financially support my kids through uni, but it's a huge amount of extra money to find. I guess it will have to be a combination of student loans, them working, and me working.

Who should pay for kids to go to Uni? Kids or parents?

Who should support kids through Uni? Parents or kids? 163 votes

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