Parent of 2011 student queries

frames1_uk

My child starts uni this year, I never went to uni so I have no experience of this, so we're muddling through together.

She has only had one reply out of 5 so far, can you tell me the average timescale of replies?

She has applied to 3 unis in Scotland and 2 in England. How soon should we apply for funding? It will be income based as I'm a single parent on a low income, so the maintenance grant will be allowed.

Are there other parents on here that are just as clueless as me?

Lokolo

Shes the one going to uni, not you, so you don't need to worry apart from August 11th/18th (results day!)

Your daughter however, should be aware that Student Loan applications open soonish.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Applyingforthefirsttime/index.htm

Applications for finance for 2011/12 will be possible from early 2011

She should apply based on her first choice.

She maybe entitled to grant or extra student loan depending on household income of yourself.

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edit:

she can change her university choice on student loan "fairly" easily, but the actual application will take a while so it's always best to do it ASAP.

She should get the majority of feedback from university over the next month.

frames1_uk

I don't think she's got much chance of her first choice to be honest, realistically (Edinburgh), she's had a conditional offer from City University London only (but that was her last choice), but I don't think it looks that great, she's a quiet, shy girl and I would like her to be on a proper big student campus to feel safe and meet lots of likeminded people.

Yes I know it's her going, not me, but I will still worry sick as she's not the most mature of teenagers and quite unworldlywise.

Lokolo

frames1_uk wrote: »

I don't think she's got much chance of her first choice to be honest, realistically (Edinburgh), she's had a conditional offer from City University London only (but that was her last choice), but I don't think it looks that great, she's a quiet, shy girl and I would like her to be on a proper big student campus to feel safe and meet lots of likeminded people.

Yes I know it's her going, not me, but I will still worry sick as she's not the most mature of teenagers and quite unworldlywise.

Ha fair enough.

Once she knows her first choice and has applied for accomodation and worked out what finance shes getting, it maybe worthwhile having a "chat" about a budget and how much she will have to spend, whether she'll get/need a partime job etc.

I assume you're in England so things like transport will need to be carefully considered if she is going to Scotland.

frames1_uk

She basically wants to get as far away from here as possible, so she's applied for Aberdeen, St Andrews and Edinburgh. Out of those she may be offered Aberdeen, but goodness sake, it's at least an 8 hour journey from here! She's never worked before, but she has sure enjoyed having EMA. I doubt she'll want to come home much so it will just be the initial trip up there, which I would imagine would be me driving her there with all her stuff. Hope they don't take too long to either offer or not, then we can apply for accommodation and finance.

I thought things got easier as kids got older... not!

Lokolo

Ha I had the same thought as her when I applied

If she gets EMA then it's likely she can get extra support.

http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=153,4680136&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

There's a calculator to here which you and her can both use. You should fill in your household incomes etc. as well to get a better estimate.

I hope you've got your P60s/P45s from last few years

Lokolo

FYI I got bored and did an estimate:

Edinburgh University - Computer Science (course doesn't matter and as a female I doubt she's doing CS but it was the first one I thought of)

£50,000 household income

She will get:

Tution Fee Loan: £1,820

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Maintenance Loan: £4,924
Maintenance Grant: £52

frames1_uk

yeh she'll be entitled to the full maintenance grant, household income is only £8500 for last year. Aberdeen though, could it get any further away!!! She also applied for Newcastle as a second last choice, it looks quite good on it's website. It's sociology she'll be doing.

Helix

My uni has given the date for student finance applications opening as 14th Feb (they say this is what the SLC have told them). I don't know if this is only returning students or will apply to new students as well. I would have thought it would be both.

frames1_uk

Thank you. I'm hoping the uni's don't take until the last minute to offer, as some of the bursaries say they must be applied for by 1st april.

ixia

My son had replies last year from 4 unis but desperately wanted to go to Glasgow however they were the last to reply. he didn't get word from them till the end of March he got in so was happy. He applied for his tuition fees after that and there was no problem however he doesn't get any bursary or grants so I don't know anything about that sorry.