Benefits when you have children who are in further education

Oldernotwiser

mummytotwo wrote: »

I have to comment on this, I went to university later in life 27 and supported myself by working 20hrs a week, living at home with my parents and travelling an hour each way every day to the uni. I found that on my course unless you bought your own books then there was a waiting list at the liberary and half the time you couldnt get the books you needed to do the coursework as other students tended to hang on them until after the coursework was handed in.

The internet is needed to do the research, there are only a set amount of computers in the university and far too many students needing to use them.

The maintenance grants are minimal, and i only got by as i had my part time job. My parents at the time were in no position to help me except letting me off paying keep whilst i was studying!

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Student loans and grants are hardly minimal and for an independent student would amount to about 6,000 a year. If you were working for 20 hours a week (even at minimum wage) and paying no keep you must have been one of the wealthiest students around, with far more disposable income than most people in well paid jobs!

bestpud

lizzielondon wrote: »

students need the internet to do their work- reading lists, problem sets, course packs etc are all online- nothing is given to me in paper form- i spend at least £5 a week printing and photocopying & that's the bare minimum i need to have on paper-

my library only has one copy of some books on my reading list - set texts are in very high demand and some books have a 24 hour limit with a fine of 50p per hour after the 24 hours are up- yes the library is open 24 hours a day, but i don't want to get the last tube home on my own- and my library is very well funded as is my uni

Students who live on, or near ca,pus, can manage without the internet!

24 hour loans are good as it means the book is almost certainly available to you at some point!

We are talking about students who live in halls - they don't have to get the last tube home!

Even so, why not do it the other way round and get there early in the morning - it is usually quieter then as most students are still in the land of nod!

lizzielondon

bestpud wrote: »

Students who live on, or near ca,pus, can manage without the internet!

24 hour loans are good as it means the book is almost certainly available to you at some point!

We are talking about students who live in halls - they don't have to get the last tube home!

Even so, why not do it the other way round and get there early in the morning - it is usually quieter then as most students are still in the land of nod!

suppose it depends on what you're reading

my point about the 24 hour loans was that resources in libraries- however well funded- are scarce. It is likely that students with a large workload will need to purchase some texts

lizzielondon

and not all the OP's daughters live on campus in halls. The one who pays for the internet doesn't.

Students need to internet to access course material. Internet access is usually included in halls accomodation- and not all halls are on campus anyway. If a student is renting privately they will need to pay for internet access

bestpud

lizzielondon wrote: »

and not all the OP's daughters live on campus in halls. The one who pays for the internet doesn't.

Students need to internet to access course material. Internet access is usually included in halls accomodation- and not all halls are on campus anyway. If a student is renting privately they will need to pay for internet access

I disagree.

Internet access at home is desirable but it is not essential!

The OP said they pay for a combined TV/internet package.

They all have internet access at their uni and they do not work so they are able to use the library facilities.

If they could afford the internet access then fine, but their mother is talking of them having nothing to eat and, in that case, internet access is not essential!

They have a computer, clearly, so they can use a memory stick and transfer files etc that way.

Same with books - great to have them if you can afford them, but if not, you have to find a way around it.

It's quite simple as I see it!

AnxiousMum

It sounds like though - that the one daughter who is paying for internet is in a student houseshare off of campus? So, if there are 3 other students in the house - are they not splitting the cost four ways? If so, I doubt the other housemates would be keen on one negging out on the four way split, making it more expensive for them as individuals, when in reality, the OP's daughter would still have access to it. I can't see three being willing to give up the service for the sake of one.

Most universities also have wifi freely available on campus - so laptops could be taken onto campus when they go in for classes during the day.

As for the library - I know one open day that we went to, the profs were actually admitting how much less is available in the library now, as texts are often provided via the internet for particular papers. The library will always have a copy, but may very likely only have one, rather than the 50 or so that would be required for each student. First one to get the hard copy from the library doesn't need to go to the expense of printing it off - and they're highly unlikely to give it up before they are done with it.

As for university costs - I know that the first choice my second son has made for September - accommodation can be £73 per week up to £125 per week. The £73 per week requires him to eat out for meals, as the kitchen is not fit for cooking in - it's basically a heat and serve area. He will be applying for one which is about £90 per week with full cooking facilities, but if they are full, then he might have no choice but to take one at £125 per week, or get one of the cheaper ones but adding quite a bit in regards to food costs.

With course contact time, I know that he will have 30 hours per week, some weeks, he's been told 40 hours. Doesn't give alot of time to get a part time job, or hang out on campus using libraries and such......so yes, I would consider internet being available (in second year when he's off campus) in his home a necessity.

bestpud

AnxiousMum wrote: »

It sounds like though - that the one daughter who is paying for internet is in a student houseshare off of campus? So, if there are 3 other students in the house - are they not splitting the cost four ways? If so, I doubt the other housemates would be keen on one negging out on the four way split, making it more expensive for them as individuals, when in reality, the OP's daughter would still have access to it. I can't see three being willing to give up the service for the sake of one.

Most universities also have wifi freely available on campus - so laptops could be taken onto campus when they go in for classes during the day.

As for the library - I know one open day that we went to, the profs were actually admitting how much less is available in the library now, as texts are often provided via the internet for particular papers. The library will always have a copy, but may very likely only have one, rather than the 50 or so that would be required for each student. First one to get the hard copy from the library doesn't need to go to the expense of printing it off - and they're highly unlikely to give it up before they are done with it.

As for university costs - I know that the first choice my second son has made for September - accommodation can be £73 per week up to £125 per week. The £73 per week requires him to eat out for meals, as the kitchen is not fit for cooking in - it's basically a heat and serve area. He will be applying for one which is about £90 per week with full cooking facilities, but if they are full, then he might have no choice but to take one at £125 per week, or get one of the cheaper ones but adding quite a bit in regards to food costs.

With course contact time, I know that he will have 30 hours per week, some weeks, he's been told 40 hours. Doesn't give alot of time to get a part time job, or hang out on campus using libraries and such......so yes, I would consider internet being available (in second year when he's off campus) in his home a necessity.

40 hours a week contact time??

That's 8 hours a day and I very much doubt they will do that in reality, whatever he tells you!

If they do, then they will have study time built into that.

As I said before, the libraries have a recall system, so the first person to bag the book has no option but to give it back!! It will cost them to keep it - simple as!

Have a read of the web pages for the uni he is going to and I am sure they will have such a system.

Nobody need hang around libraries if they are organised!

In fact, with that amount of contact time, he will have less need than students on courses where there is virtually no contact time.

Believe me, I've heard all the sob stories from students - I sit and listen to them calling mummy/daddy with their tales of woe and then whooping with their mates when they've managed to con some money for 'books' or 'food' from the bank of mum/dad.

It happens all the time but I'm sure they all have children who wouldn't dream of doing that and really are starving hungry and not going out when everyone else is, as they 'can't afford it'.

Most manage to work - whatever course they are doing!

You can choose to help your child so he is in the minority who don't work and are able to afford the luxury of internet access etc, but that's a choice - he will survive without it if he really wants to.

mummytotwo_3

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Student loans and grants are hardly minimal and for an independent student would amount to about 6,000 a year. If you were working for 20 hours a week (even at minimum wage) and paying no keep you must have been one of the wealthiest students around, with far more disposable income than most people in well paid jobs!

Far from it, I was not the most wealthiest around, as I went back as a mature student I had essential outgoings that needed paying at the time, which had been incurred whilst living with an ex-partner.

I gave up a half decent job in a bank to go back - which was leading nowhere in a call centre. When I was using Student loans they were not £6000 per year, and grants were a new thing.

I also had to fund the first year of my course myself, at £160 per month. We were talking approx £50 per week in petrol, which was cheaper than taking the two trains that I would have need to catch etc.

I did have little spare time - which made me actually do full days at the uni, treating it like a full time job 9-5, even if i only had 2 - 3 hours of contact time on a certain day. My Job was on the way home from uni - literally just off the motorway.

My point being, if i had not lived with my parents, I could not have afforded to do my degree, the rent was high in the town where i studied.

mummytotwo_3

Bestspud, with regards to the library recall system where I was, it was useless, because people were happy to pay the fines for keeping the books!!!

lizzielondon

bestpud wrote: »

40 hours a week contact time??

That's 8 hours a day and I very much doubt they will do that in reality, whatever he tells you!

If they do, then they will have study time built into that.

As I said before, the libraries have a recall system, so the first person to bag the book has no option but to give it back!! It will cost them to keep it - simple as!

Have a read of the web pages for the uni he is going to and I am sure they will have such a system.

Nobody need hang around libraries if they are organised!

In fact, with that amount of contact time, he will have less need than students on courses where there is virtually no contact time.

Believe me, I've heard all the sob stories from students - I sit and listen to them calling mummy/daddy with their tales of woe and then whooping with their mates when they've managed to con some money for 'books' or 'food' from the bank of mum/dad.

It happens all the time but I'm sure they all have children who wouldn't dream of doing that and really are starving hungry and not going out when everyone else is, as they 'can't afford it'.

Most manage to work - whatever course they are doing!

You can choose to help your child so he is in the minority who don't work and are able to afford the luxury of internet access etc, but that's a choice - he will survive without it if he really wants to.

library recall systems are not without fault- students with dyslexia etc are not fined for late return at my library- meaning some students have no incentive to return the books on time. The 24 hour texts can not be recalled and students simply return them and immediately reissue them

most parents i know with children at university do not see helping their children with living expenses a 'con'. If they are able to help, they want to do so

some universities and courses do not allow you to work part time. Many have limits for the number of hours you can be expected to work without it damaging your grades