What is the nominal budget for a 2012/13 student?

MusicalLawyer

Dunroamin wrote: »

That's really good of you.

As an aside, have you checked that she's receiving all the benefits that she might be eligible for?

Yeah I made sure she claimed everything she was entitled to (HB / CTB / ESA) Apparently she 'isn't eligible' for DLA - however we're appealing this (with the help of one of my law lecturers!)

hardtoexplain

monxton wrote: »

Ha, I wonder what you are studying. I'd hope that making sense of complex data is not something that a university student would reject as being impossible . Of course there is no single answer, but that's not unusual. And if it was a simple question then I wouldn't need to solicit other people's opinions, because the answer would be clear.

You're right that I had in mind a student fresh from school and moving away from their parents' home for the first time, and as you say, there are other types of student whose circumstances will be different - if so they are likely to be assessed as independent students and therefore won't be having a discussion with their parents about how much money the parents should give them.

I gave you a rough guide from the NUS of cost of living and what I live off so can't do much more than that. Opinions are all well and good but it depends on your son/daughter.

I'm studying Statistics and it's nothing to do with making sense of complex data (of which you have none because you don't even know how much loan they will recieve, or informed us where they are studying) but much more to do with the fact you need to find out a sensible budget for what your child expects/how much you can give rather than what I or another student live off.

And I have no idea why you are now talking about independent students?? I was simply saying the loan will also vary depending on any other children you may have, benefits etc. And the amounts students spend vary depending on how much they want to go out, first year halls, if they buy books or not yada. I'm just a student who happens to earn a living advising other students. I'd like to think I try to extend this to parents too but they seem much more keen on patronising me.

Derivative

It is a question which is not really answerable without further information.
The Government's policy of having the strict "inside London" and "outside London" divide further confuses things.

A student going to a North East university is going to have far, far lower housing costs than one in the South East.

Similarly, a student who from the outset plans to spend the bare minimum possible is going to need far less also.

The difference between low household income and medium is there not due to any sense of 'fairness' - obviously it's not fair that low income students don't have to work or ask parents. But the fact is that without that support, lower income students couldn't go at all until they'd worked a few years full time. Asking parents simply isn't an option when you have a household income of <£10k.