How do student survive?

stars_bright

My son is about to start his fianl year at Uni. Our household income is low so he qualifies for most of the loan and grant. However he has just worked out that once he has paid his college bill he will have only £80 to live on until Jan! Obviously we will help him as much as possible but we have another child at home and a low income ourselves so this will be very limited.
He received more grant and loan the previous 2 years but apparenlty they gte less in their graduation year on the assumption they will get a job as soon as they graduate, this is fine but how is getting a job next July going to help him now? he is already at his max overdraft from the last 2 years! He has tried to get a part time job but it is very difficult to get one in these economic times.
Up until now his father has paying maintenance through a consent order which was supposed to continue till he left university but his father has decided that now he is 21 he deoesn't need to continue paying. Although this is not what the order says it would cost me to employ solicitor to enforce it.
Anyone got any advice?

The_One_Who

Firstly, students get less loan in their final year because come summer they are no longer students. In the previous years the loan is meant to cover them over summer as well. It's not to do with a job, but since they are no longer students they are allowed to apply for JSA.

What do you mean by college bill? I presume that means accommodation rather than tuition fees? Most students survive by getting a part-time job. Although these are not as easy to come by now as they used to be, they do still exist. He is probably a bit late for Christmas temp work, but there are jobs about if you aren't too picky.

Bennifred

I have a son who has just started his third year also. The way he is managing is that he has worked during every holiday (mainly through agencies) from the age of 16 and saved that money to fund himself whilst at university - he hasn't had any paid work during term-time whilst at university. We haven't had to give him any money. Our older boy did the same, and that is also what the youngest will be expected to do when his time comes.

I know this information is of no help now - but how did he/you think things were going to work out? It's not as if the funding/costs are secret. He should go to his university job shop and sign up with some employment agencies, ask at every supermarket, etc, etc. Luckily at this time of year lots of companies are taking on Christmas temps.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but lots of students are in the same position!

stars_bright

Thanks for your replies. Yes the college bill is what he pays to the uni for his accomadation. He was Ok in the last 2 years because his father was paying the maintenance which we expected to continue as per the consent order and from part time jobs which he managed to get. We did not know that in the final year the termly amount he would get would be less and I don't see how getting a job next summer can help with his living costs now. He has been unable to find a part time job recently, not for want of trying - up until a year ago he has worked part time from the age of 15 but jobs are very difficult to come by locally and at his uni.

lucylollipop

If he's really struggling, the university should have an ALF fund that he can apply to - he'll need to produce bank statements and explain why he needs the help, but they do try to help where possible. He'll need to contact the universitys student services/student welfare department to get hold of the forms, but depending on the term dates, the forms may not be released yet - I know that the uni I'm at don't release them until October 15th, but you can apply ahead of this to have the forms posted out on the day of release.

Oldernotwiser

stars_bright wrote: »

He was Ok in the last 2 years because his father was paying the maintenance .

Are you saying that for the first two years he received a loan, a grant, maintenance from his father AND had a part time job? With this much money coming in I'm surprised he didn't save some of it and I'm also surprised that he chose third year accommodation that is so expensive that it swallows up all but £80 of his grant and loan this year.

Mankysteve

Need to get a job then doesn't he. simples.

MrsManda

I think the answer to how students survive is that they look at what they can expect to get in terms of student loans & grants and learn to budget, getting a part time job to cover anything extra they'd like but cannot afford on their loans/grants.

1st year students often find this difficult as it's the first time they've had to rely on their own funds but by the end of their 1st year they've usually got it.

As already said, getting less loan in your final year shouldn't be a shock. The information is not hidden from students, and is based on the fact that as soon as their final term is over they can have a full time job and apply for Jobseekers Allowance.

None of this particularly helps the situation your son has got himself into but it does explain how most students cope. Some of my friends rely on their parents to help them out, especially if they've not been given the full amount of loan/grants but most of them see it as a matter of pride to stand on their own two feet and work within their budget.

Lokolo

My accomondation is £45 a week this year....

Mobility151990

Are you saying that for the first two years he received a loan, a grant, maintenance from his father AND had a part time job? With this much money coming in I'm surprised he didn't save some of it and I'm also surprised that he chose third year accommodation that is so expensive that it swallows up all but £80 of his grant and loan this year.

--- What this person said, after tuition fees are paid for by tuition loan. Maintenance loan pays accommodation. Maintenance grant is for spends, he also had an overdraft AND maintenance........What was he doing for god sake?!

I mean even without the maintenance, what is the problem?! Sounds like he needs cheaper accommodation if his maintenance loan isn't covering it, imho.

7891368

Where are you at Uni though?

Mine's 75 plus bills