Son going to Uni in September

Mojisola

mumsthe wrote: »

I want to be able to support him in whatever way I can but I am unable to help financially (I work full-time but not great money), he now thinks that I don't want him living at home because I have suggested that he live on campus so I will have to leave that conversation for another day.

Could you show him the replies you've got here so he can see why people are suggesting it?

Rikki

There is a great social scene on campus for students in their first year.
Groups to join, social events and parties to go to. At home he would be separated from his fellow students and a little left out.

As for the grants and loans these are to pay for his fees and living expenses. How else would he be able to cover these costs? (Fees are over £1000 a term x3)

The loans are the cheapest and the easiest to repay that you will ever get and many student decide to save what ever they don't spend.

Masomnia

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned bursaries yet. Check with all the universities he has offers from to see if they offer additional non-repayable support. The bursary I get from my uni due to my mum's low income (we're in a very similar situation to yours) and my A level results is really good.

I'm pretty sure that if you're on tax credits you'll be entitled to something from each uni separate from the maintenance loan and grants.

Best of luck

Rikki

Masomnia wrote: »

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned bursaries yet. Check with all the universities he has offers from to see if they offer additional non-repayable support. The bursary I get from my uni due to my mum's low income (we're in a very similar situation to yours) and my A level results is really good.

I'm pretty sure that if you're on tax credits you'll be entitled to something from each uni separate from the maintenance loan and grants.

Best of luck

Bristol university grants are available. CLICK HERE

Plymouth university is not quite so clear. Click Here

blue_ashleigh

I would definately recommend he lives on campus at least for the first year. A couple of people I know at Uni lived at home and in the first year in particular they missed out on so much of the socialising, particularly as things are often decided last minute or just general messing about and chatting at all hours.

You could perhaps suggest to him that it's not that you don't want him to live at home, but that you think he'd have more fun on campus. You could perhaps suggest that if he didn't like it he could live at home for the second and third year (presuming he's going to uni near by), and mention that there's Christmas hols (usually 2-3wks) and Easter hols (3-4wks) where he can come live back home (if he's intially a little scared of being away from home) so it demonstrates that it's not that you 'want to get rid of him' but that you think he'd enjoy living with everyone else.

CarolynH

MrsManda wrote: »

As your son already has a job make sure he fills in an R85 form from the HMRC - he won't pay tax as a student and it saves the effort of claiming back paid tax at the end of the financial year.

This is a common misconception. Students are liable for tax like everyone else. However, students also have the same tax allowances (£6475 this year) as everyone else.

If a student works ONLY in the university holidays, they can fill in this form and not be taxed on their holiday earnings. This isn;t because the income isn't taxable though - it's because basically the student is being allowed to have ALL their taxable allowances assigned to holiday time.

If a student works during term time, they are treated the same as every other working person in the contry with regards to tax. However, many part time workers (students and non students alike) end up paying no tax as their earnings are below the point where tax kicks in (approx £124 per week).

Hope everything works out for you and your son OP.

SuziQ

OP,my daughter started Uni last Sept and always wanted to live on Campus-she has said to me today (came back home from Easter late last night) that she would have missed out on so much if she had lived at home. She has matured so much in the last 6 months and I am so proud of her. She manages on £15-20 per week food and groceries by menu planning and shopping very wisely-very MSE and I think I taught her well! She cooks very healthy meals too.

About CTC, I didn't lose CB and CTC until after 31st August last year,and I had it confirmed for me by several experts on here that although not all the CTC advisors know this,the correct cut-off is August not on the day of their last exam.(provinding they are going on to Uni,that is.)

I found it a shock to lose so much,especially as I still have to support her during holidays and put together food parcels etc for her that has to come out of my own grocery budget (I look out for whoopsies for her and bogof-1 for her,1 for me!)

I agree with everyone else, he should choose his Uni on where HE wants to go,and then look for whatever grants etc he ay be able to get-My daughter got just over £1,000 for the year from Kent Uni which was available to ALL the students not just those from low income families.
Yes they will be leaving with substantial debt,but what choice do they have if they want to get a degree? Hoepfully it will be the basis of a career so will be worth it.
Tell him to go onto www.thestudentroom.com where he can chat to lots of other current and prospective Uni students.They have forums for most all of the Unis.We found it a wonderful reource and my daughter made friends online with people both on her course and in her on-campus flat before ever getting there,which was the most tremendous bonus for her.