Divorced parents of Student

edgebiker

I am divorced from my Daughters Mother and She will be looking to go to uni next year.(Daughter not Mother).
Although i pay maintenance will my wages be taken into account when looking for a grant. if i stopped paying maintenance would daugter get more grant. If i pay maintenance direct to Daughter will this affect her grant application.
Thanks for any advice.

nearlyrich

The local education authority only assess the family income of the parent with care (PWC) so, if your daughter doesn't live with you, your earnings are not relevant. If your ex-wife has remarried or has a live in partner they will take their earnings into account (which is pretty unfair to my mind but my ex was the feckless type who didn't pay maintenance unless forced.

There are no "student grants" as of right, most students get the student loan which is around £3000 per academic year and if the PWC has an income of less than around £30K there is fee support( currently the PWC has to pay £1150 per year for fees if the income is over the limit) and another £1000 loans there are other means tested grants for low income families of around £1000 per year but I think it's under £15k for that.

I am sure your ex wife and daughter will appreciate your continued support and it will probably be a good idea to start to pay the money into your daughter's account if she is living away from home or maybe agree to pay monthly for a specific thing like rent or phone.

Please check the exact figures for earnings etc for yourself as I am not an expert just a mum of a first year uni student and another one going in September:eek:

edgebiker

Thanks for the reply.
Yes my Daughters do appreciate my help and support, but i can assure you my exwife does not.
As far as Parent with care. Surely both parents who are involved in their childrens lives have care. My girls spend as much time in my house as with their mother.
There is no Residence order in place. (Mothers case was dimissed in court).
So i suppose it comes down to where she spends the most nights.
Thanks again

Stuy

My daughter is also going to uni this year and spends an equel amount of time at both my house and my ex's. We have desided to use my address as the "residental home" as I live on my own and my ex has a partner. This means that only my wage will be tacken into account and not the joint income of my ex and her partner.

stuwilky

There is also some other ways to help - that avoid the direct giving of cash to daughter -ie paying the rent bill - it will be in daughters name, but they accomodation company or university dont care who pays the money in!

NB - Ive just got the new earnings limits through for tuition fee assesments as well

nearlyrich

stuwilky wrote:

NB - Ive just got the new earnings limits through for tuition fee assesments as well

What's the damage Stuwilky? I have 2 to pay for this year:eek:.

stuwilky

Well - Residual Income of £32,745 means payment of total fees
Less than £22,010 - means no payment of fees
And for every £9.50 of income above that a parental contribution is due.

Residual income is....

Gross salary minus pension/superannuation payments minus 1025 for any child dependant on them minus 1025 if the parents is a student.

Savvy_Sue

stuwilky wrote:

Residual income is....

Gross salary minus pension/superannuation payments minus 1025 for any child dependant on them minus 1025 if the parents is a student.

Flipping 'eck! how far is £1025 supposed to go, even if you add the Child Benefit onto it, in keeping a child fed and clothed!

But thanks for the info!

stuwilky

Not forgetting that it is 1025 BEFORE tax!

Savvy_Sue

stuwilky wrote:

Not forgetting that it is 1025 BEFORE tax!

It gets worse then ... I hadn't properly read your initial post and was thinking we might creep in at the minimum contribution levels ...

I find it particularly frustrating that ALL the stuff about grants, scholarships etc from my son's first choice appears to exclude those whose parents are expected to make any kind of contribution. I appreciate that they want to encourage the poorest students to apply, but what about rewarding and encouraging excellence? Oh sorry, forgot, that went out of the window a long time ago ...

stuwilky

Sue, which is the uni?

Im hearing a lot of that type of comment. I knowmost of our literature is aimed at low earners, but as 75% of our students make no contribution it is understandable.

Do remember though that there are other ways of getting assistance once the kids get to uni, Access to Learning Fund for example - you dont necessarily get involved in the application but nothing wrong in pointing junior towards the right place. If you find he is struggling give me a shout and I will explain all!