My student daughter cannot get a student account!

Derivative

That is my main point. The assumption is that you stay home outside term time, the loans are worked on the idea you spend roughly half the year at Uni.

Yes, there are situations in which people may have to stay all year for some reason. It is not common and it is generally a personal choice.

I do get halls after first year BTW, but even if not, you still pay no CT and to be honest, my halls are more expensive than private simply due to city centre location. If I were to go private I'd go further out and end up paying less even after bills.

It is "possible" to pay over £1k a term in the South, remember not all universities are there. I am saying that is the top end and many students pay less than that. The Universities that "aren't in Sunderland" as you call it charge around £3k/uni year, which is manageable. I would be impressed if you can find me anywhere charging more than 4k for term time that doesn't include cafeteria allowance or something.

Sambucus_Nigra

suefoodtech wrote: »

Any advice please?. My daughter had a gap year and worked before uni. She is now in her second year, and penniless...aren't all students?!. She decided to apply for a student account and overdraft to help her and was declined by Nat West and halifax. Further research via Experian, shows she has a poor credit rating, as she missed a mobile phone payment (by 3 days) during the year she worked. I am forced to pay out all the time as her student loan does not even cover her rent, let alone food, travel, clothes, uni field trips etc etc......, What,if anything, can be done?
Thanks.
Sue

If you are relying on her getting an overdraft to cover - then why not lend her the amount of an overdraft and the problem will be solved, yes?

Where is the money she saved whilst working?

EndlessStruggle

I agree with what is said here, get a part time job and maybe try all of the banks if she hasn't done so before giving up on that option. I tried them all to see what they would offer me and went with the best two.

Fiddlestick

maddocks wrote: »

The most important thing to remember about this is that the SLC assume you only live there during term time: they do not supplement the 20 weeks a year you're "meant" to be away with your parents (I was unable to do this).

The SLC is paying you to study, and it's only logical that their support stops when your study stops.

What you do with that time is of no concern of theirs, be it visit parents, work in McDonalds or even go on retreat to Tibet for all they care.

DanielleR

jen245 wrote: »

I had 2 part time jobs when I was at uni!

I had three and used to scour charity shops for things to sell on ebay! Still ended up with about £8k of unsecured debt

mumps

EdgEy wrote: »

That is my main point. The assumption is that you stay home outside term time, the loans are worked on the idea you spend roughly half the year at Uni.

Yes, there are situations in which people may have to stay all year for some reason. It is not common and it is generally a personal choice.

I do get halls after first year BTW, but even if not, you still pay no CT and to be honest, my halls are more expensive than private simply due to city centre location. If I were to go private I'd go further out and end up paying less even after bills.

It is "possible" to pay over £1k a term in the South, remember not all universities are there. I am saying that is the top end and many students pay less than that. The Universities that "aren't in Sunderland" as you call it charge around £3k/uni year, which is manageable. I would be impressed if you can find me anywhere charging more than 4k for term time that doesn't include cafeteria allowance or something.

Have a look at Birmingham
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/students/accommodation/halls/pritchatts.aspx
I just looked at Birmingham as I was on another thread where someone was asking about it. I just had a quick look but couldn't see anything that was £3k a year, a couple a few hundred over mbut lots at 4 and 5 K. I don't think Birmingham is particularly expensive. My daughter is at another uni and paid more than that for halls and is now paying 3.5k for a room in a shared flat, nice flat dodgy area. Obviously she has to pay bills on top.

Just looked at some of the other halls in Birmingham and some are over £6 k self catering.

notafan

EdgEy wrote: »

I am one of the students that get £6400 a year and I am telling you, it is not tough. It is not even remotely difficult. What IS tough is getting £4k or less and having the government expect your parents to top up the rest - which is what some my fellow students have to put up with.

Firstly, the 6k is for HALF the year. Rest of the time you spend at home, and I don't think asking the average parent to help their kids out a bit there is asking much. Set aside 1k for outside term time to balance out Child Benefit and you're in the same situation as you were at age 16.

Most halls include bills, broadband. Those that don't are generally cheaper to make up for it (rare to see private rent of £1k/term outside London, and Londoners get more help from SLC).

So you're essentially talking £2k for food, and textbooks/stationery. All of your other things listed are optional.

This is Money Saving Expert, you've included a list of some of the most expensive things that students DON'T do. I know hardly anyone that owns a car. Noone that owns a TV license (we're students, supposedly we have brains, the internet is a valuable resource) and halls pay for bills.

I could do an SOA but most of the things on the standard MSE template don't apply to students. Remember that Council Tax, TV license, gas/electric/water, internet, landline bills don't apply to many if not most of us.

I just can't make clear enough how wrong this is. I am unsure if you are a student but it seems you neglect the fact that we don't need all of the toys like cars just yet.

And take it from someone that's been then who also got 6k when he went.

What you nicely forget are a couple of things, firstly the 1st year in halls may well cover gas electric and water but you pay for it on the rent dont be fooled into thinking you don't this is the reason hall fee's are more expensive then private rentals. Plus some of the private halls which are contracted through a lot of the uni's do charge for broadband and some have utilities charges. The vast majority of students then house share 2nd and 3rd year where the rest of the bills do apply.

The 6k is per year not half - you are issued it on a yearly bases and if your saying that your calculating it as half then you've answered quashed your argument by saying you get by for 6 months on 6k. Not everyone goes home over summer, landlords contract you for the year - again you might see the half price rent over summer if none of you live in it but don't be fooled that you haven't paid for that either - its all worked into the price that you pay overall. I know loads who stayed over summer.

The fact you say the stuff doesnt apply to your SOA shows how naive you are - just because its bundled into the price of your halls doesnt mean you don't pay it - it certainly does apply you just haven't got to grips with how its charged because you aren't directly billed for it under the heading of gas or electric etc. They certainly aren't giving you that stuff for free.

I didn't factor the car cost into it when i said it was difficult on the 6k. I simply asked the other poster how she lives like a king when she says she drives a car and the costs before a car are ambitious enough, let alone what extras a car has to spend. I also did not mention council tax as i am aware it doesnt apply.

Its nothing to do with balancing out child benefit - although again your maths is flawed because now your saying live on 5k for 6 months and then 1k for the other 6 months. Whilst there are greater demands at different times of the year for students with regards to money its not that extreme.

The reason your finding it cheap is because someone is funding you the other 6 months your not counting and your not counting the things you class as optional again because someone else is paying extra or your not sure how its packaged. Have you or the other poster who lives like a king spent any of your 0% overdrafts - do you factor thats another 1k funding on average if either of you have.

Your judging people (as you mentioned earlier there 'tight parents') based on your limited experience and one size fits all approach to everything.

For many students going to Uni is the first time they have any knowledge or experience in dealing with their finances solely on their own for everything, its a massive learning curve. I'd hazard a guess that by the end of the experience you'll feel differently because at the minute you don't seem to have a grip on all the costs involved - you may well think some are optional, that you can dodge the ones you want or think some don't apply to you when they really do but if you don't learn it now then you will eventually when it comes back to bite you later.

You can 'tell me' all you like, but as i'm someone that's gone through the experience i can assure you that your figures dont add up. They don't compare with my first hand experience, nor the statistics for the 'average' student you mention such as costs quoted in various polls for NUS or most of the major educational sites.

notafan

EdgEy wrote: »

That is my main point. The assumption is that you stay home outside term time, the loans are worked on the idea you spend roughly half the year at Uni.

Yes, there are situations in which people may have to stay all year for some reason. It is not common and it is generally a personal choice.

I do get halls after first year BTW, but even if not, you still pay no CT and to be honest, my halls are more expensive than private simply due to city centre location. If I were to go private I'd go further out and end up paying less even after bills.

It is "possible" to pay over £1k a term in the South, remember not all universities are there. I am saying that is the top end and many students pay less than that. The Universities that "aren't in Sunderland" as you call it charge around £3k/uni year, which is manageable. I would be impressed if you can find me anywhere charging more than 4k for term time that doesn't include cafeteria allowance or something.

You'll find especially in some of the bigger cities that not all Uni's have enough of their own accomodation and contract it out to the private sector. The uni still allocate you in these as more often then not most Uni's guarantee you a place in halls for first year only but it will be at their discretion as to what your offered even if you have preferences.

£5924.16 total - Wilmslow Park Manchester - contracted out by Manchester Met and Manchester Uni - Single ensuite room this includes a discount for paying in one go.

£5331 Sky Park contracted out by Leeds & Leeds Met Uni's

I could go find you loads more examples these in particular are self catered and in some cases have surcharges for broadband and utilities.

This are mid range examples. You can find similar in every major city and most University towns.

Derivative

The reason your finding it cheap is because someone is funding you the other 6 months your not counting and your not counting the things you class as optional again because someone else is paying extra or your not sure how its packaged. Have you or the other poster who lives like a king spent any of your 0% overdrafts - do you factor thats another 1k funding on average if either of you have.

These are my major outgoings, there will be small bits and bobs I've missed but they're essentially optional.

Rent, £1200 per term, bills inclusive. Three terms.
This is not low end, I consider this expensive. It is cheaper than comparable city centre accommodation, but if I were private I'd go a few miles out and cycle.

Food, £20 per week.
Travel, £360, six journeys to/from Uni. Cycle rest of the time.
Stationery probably £100/year if I buy the odd book here and there and use the library.
Laundry costs less than £10 a term.
Bit of bike maintenance.

I pay my mother a sum I'd prefer not to disclose outside term time to take care of food and general housekeeping.

Anything else is optional. I would be interested in what you think I'm missing out here.

TV license and Council Tax do not apply, because students are exempt from CT and a TV is pointless if you have the internet.

Derivative

notafan wrote:

£5924.16
This are mid range examples. You can find similar in every major city and most University towns.

Right.
So what is your high end example? Buckingham Palace?

You're telling me that a house share in a 3bed would be £18k a year incl gas/elec/water?

How the bloody hell do families cope?