Benefits when you have children who are in further education

Indie_Kid

wendyj90 wrote: »

The trouble is, they can't get any work - what my daughters' have found is that local employers are taking on people who live locally all year round not just term time.

Some companies (Tesco, for example) do transfer students if they move away for uni.

there's often alot more about it that you don't know unless you're in the situation of putting a child through uni yourself.

My parents have been there and done that. Due to various SFE !!!!-ups, they had to help my sister & I through the first few months of uni on a low wage.

Bogof_Babe

Would it be cheaper to find a house share rather than live in Halls? I know they are encouraged to live in for their first year to socialise, but it seems the prices have become ridiculous if they are now greater than their entire student finance package. How do they expect them to pay for food, let alone books etc?

Indie_Kid

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Would it be cheaper to find a house share rather than live in Halls? I know they are encouraged to live in for their first year to socialise, but it seems the prices have become ridiculous if they are now greater than their entire student finance package. How do they expect them to pay for food, let alone books etc?

By the time you include bills, it may work out more expensive.

Jomo

When debts are involved sometimes the only thing to do is earn more somehow.

Mrs_Thrify

Hi Wendy, it is not easy but we struggle through. Having a small amount of funds sometimes brings famly's together. Wile your children are at home you have company, advice on little things like clothes and some help.

bestpud

AnxiousMum wrote: »

Wendy - congrats on having three daughters aspiring to get a great education and job prospects later in life

Do your daughters get the maintenance loan only? Does their various universities offer any bursaries to students from low income households? My son is off to Warwick (well he'd better be!) this year, and if we were low income, we were surprised at the extra £3K he would get - some in terms of additional grant money from student loans and another £1.5K or so from the university itself. Might want to check the individual university sites under funding to see if any of them have this type of bursary - though at Warwick I believe it's calculated along with the student loan information.

As you say, the student loan barely covers the cost of halls, let alone anything else.
MrsBartolozz - don't count on your son being able to find a job while at Uni - they can be very few and far between especially in towns where you have more than one university, a large university, or other colleges nearby.
Sending a son off to university with £30 in his pocket is certainly setting him up for a fall.

Do you consider £53k a low income?? I certainly don't!

Have you posted an SOA on the debt free wannabe board, OP?

I think for a couple of weeks you can all manage on value beans and pasta/potatoes etc. You are all adults and presumably used to making a little go far.

viktory

bestpud wrote: »

Do you consider £53k a low income?? I certainly don't!

My understanding was that the OP is £53 a year over the earnings threshold for tax credits - not that she earns £53k a year. If I am wrong, and she does earn £53k a year then I am speechless (and that doesn't happen often! )

bestpud

viktory wrote: »

My understanding was that the OP is £53 a year over the earnings threshold for tax credits - not that she earns £53k a year. If I am wrong, and she does earn £53k a year then I am speechless (and that doesn't happen often! )

Ah right, that makes more sense - thanks for pointing that out!

That's exactly what I was - speechless! Even with massive debts, she should be able to manage with a salary of that size.

In that case the girls should be getting maximum help from student finance and should be able to fund their own way on that.

It is often students from higher income families who struggle hardest if the parent can't (or won't in some cases) contribute.

If they aren't working, I can't see why they need internet in their accommodation for a start, and they should also be able to manage without buying books as they have time to get to the library and organise themselves.

That may seem harsh but that's the way it is for many students - I live 30 miles from my uni, and I am a single parent who also works, but I manage without buying books by thinking ahead and making sure I can get what I need from the library.

Perhaps they'd let you help them work out a budget to make sure this situation doesn't arise again, as they probably have more disposable income than you!

Jomo

viktory wrote: »

My understanding was that the OP is £53 a year over the earnings threshold for tax credits - not that she earns £53k a year. If I am wrong, and she does earn £53k a year then I am speechless (and that doesn't happen often! )

That is how I read it also.

AnxiousMum

bestpud wrote: »

Do you consider £53k a low income?? I certainly don't!

Have you posted an SOA on the debt free wannabe board, OP?

I think for a couple of weeks you can all manage on value beans and pasta/potatoes etc. You are all adults and presumably used to making a little go far.

No I don't......but then I don't see where the OP says that's what their income is. And......I'm sure if I was earning 53K per year, and had three children in university at one time, then yes it probably would seem like a low income till I got used to it!