Too much income, no spare cash to finance children at uni

Voyager2002

Student Finance enables the children of divorced /separated parents to choose which parent is supporting them, and so their eligibility for loans is assessed on the income and financial situation of that parent. It sounds as if your children would do well to arrange that it is their other parent (father?) whose details are provided to Student Finance -- unless he is also being kept by a wealthy partner!

Dunroamin

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Student Finance enables the children of divorced /separated parents to choose which parent is supporting them, and so their eligibility for loans is assessed on the income and financial situation of that parent. It sounds as if your children would do well to arrange that it is their other parent (father?) whose details are provided to Student Finance -- unless he is also being kept by a wealthy partner!

Sorry, you're wrong.

Students are assessed on the household income of the home where they normally live. Trying to pretend anything else would be fraud.

duchy

It's no different to the single Mum with three toddlers moving in with a well paid partner -her income support and tax credits etc would disappear as the household income would be too high and the partner would be expected to support the children rather than the tax payer do it. With three at uni presumably at least one was at uni when you moved in together.

Would your children's father(s) contribute ?
Can your children claim as independent adults (I recall a friend whose well off parents flatly refused to support her and she claimed as estranged or independent to get her student loan but don't remember the details).

Dunroamin

duchy wrote: »

Would your children's father(s) contribute ?
Can your children claim as independent adults (I recall a friend whose well off parents flatly refused to support her and she claimed as estranged or independent to get her student loan but don't remember the details).

You can't claim estrangement based solely on your parents refusing to support you or everyone would be doing it!

devildog

!!!!!! wrote: »

No it's not, it was the OPs decision to move in with him. Even the OP accepts that he shouldn't have to support them.
Unless I misunderstand the Student finance system, for starters the loans and grants foir this year are based on last years income and the grant/loan ratio is the main change. The total money available to claim does not vary by much. They may lose grants/bursaries from the unis but these were discretionary anyway.

Loans and grants are 'usually' based on the previous year's income but if there has been a change in circumstances(like moving in with a partner) SF have to be notified and I think they then requesta current year assessment.
Again many(but not all) grants/bursaries are down to your income assessment

devildog

Derivative wrote: »

In all fairness I think you are a bit knackered.

To those claiming the partner should pay - are you serious?

They've been together for probably a year or two if they've just moved in together, and you want him to stump up £5k living fees per child per year?

It does go off last years' income, but just going for it anyway would be even worse - next year you'd have to cover the shortfall and your kid(s) will be left having done only some of their degree and in debt on tuition loans.

I would say your options are to live apart (married couples often do this to get student loan support), or for the children to work part time for their degrees. It may be 'his fault' that they are unable to claim, but I think asking a new partner for tens of thousands of pounds to support your children is a non-starter really - particularly as he's probably been thinking "well, they're moving out soon".

My angle wasn't that the partner 'should' pay, as we have all seen very clearly on this board that some parents will support their children regardless and that other parents will not. Either could be right or wrong depending on your views. Eitherway, I think that 'parents' are in agreement with whatever they choose to do. However it appears that mum wants to support her children and partner does not(can equally understand him thinking why should he) BUT in a partnership there should be some give and take!
Regardless of income, he wouldn't need to stump up £5k of living fees per child, they would still be entitled to a non-income assessed loan.
Due to change of circumstancesw I believe it would be a current year assessment of wages

devildog

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Student Finance enables the children of divorced /separated parents to choose which parent is supporting them, and so their eligibility for loans is assessed on the income and financial situation of that parent. It sounds as if your children would do well to arrange that it is their other parent (father?) whose details are provided to Student Finance -- unless he is also being kept by a wealthy partner!

I don't think that is strictly true although I have read where students 'play' the system and state they live with the parent that earns the least. If parents are divorced and resident parent is stil single then SF decides who/what income they will assess loans/grants on

MusicalLawyer

!!!!!! wrote: »

Unless I misunderstand the Student finance system, for starters the loans and grants foir this year are based on last years income
and the grant/loan ratio is the main change. The total money available to claim does not vary by much. They may lose grants/bursaries from the unis but these were discretionary anyway.

Doesn't vary by much?

I get £7800 in Maintenance Loan, and £2907 in Maintenance Grants... if my household income was above the threshold, i would have qualified for just over £4,000 for the year...

Derivative

I would have to agree with Kelly here - the amount does vary by a huge amount.

Remember that there may also be University-specific bursaries. At my own University, low income students are eligible for another £3k a year on top of anything Student Finance gives you.

That's before you even think about discretionary grants that some are eligible to apply for.

liney

KellyKing1987 wrote: »

Doesn't vary by much?

I get £7800 in Maintenance Loan, and £2907 in Maintenance Grants... if my household income was above the threshold, i would have qualified for just over £4,000 for the year...

Are you sure? That sounds like the total amount for Fees Loan, and Maintenance Loan, ie £3.5k of that goes straight to the university.