University Campus or Home?

Wyre

stebiz wrote: »

Because she can't get the loan without the maintenance loan.

I was curious about this as we have obviously done my daughter's application for the next year a while ago and I was certain that we had to tick if we wanted the loan or not as I was pretty sure we could have put 0 for the loan if we wanted and still apply for the grant. According to the student finance part of the The Student Room, this is exactly what she can do so long as you can provide the evidence that she is entitled to the grant.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=545

Rain_Shadow

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

personally im glad i moved out for uni, i ended up at one an hour awaay from home, so far enough to move out but close enough to go back if i needed to. i come from a small town, with few prospects/jobs. 2 of the friends i lived with in my halls i ended up living with in my 2nd/3rd year. For me that was important as i really didnt make any friends on my course so if i'd lived at home i would have missed out on so much, plus i would still have had to live under my parents rules. for me uni gave me freedom and independence which i wouldn't have got if i'd stayed at home. as for having a job most people i know had one, thats how you got by. it was a great experience, looked good on my cv (as i showed i could balance work and studying full time) and i met some amazing people. the only people who didnt work were those who had regular placements (nurses etc) or those with rich parents.

i think you need to put your feelings aside and let her choose for herself without your influence

This. My friends were all among the people I lived with 24/7 not the ones I studied with. My sons friends are studying a wide range of subjects. Another aspect of living at university. Meeting people with different academic interests and different outlooks on life and finding friendship with them.

Wyre

Dunroamin wrote: »

Lots of people who don't need the maintenance loan take it and put it aside for future purposes. This can be quite a sensible thing to do but not at the expense of having it dictate the university you go to.

I appreciate that, but the OP is all about the debt (allegedly) so if he doesn't want her 'burdened' with it, then surely she shouldn't take it.

Dunroamin

Wyre wrote: »

I appreciate that, but the OP is all about the debt (allegedly) so if he doesn't want her 'burdened' with it, then surely she shouldn't take it.

I agree, some of his posts are contradictory. He doesn't want her to take the maintenance loan but he wants her to have it to pay for possible future study - he can't have it both ways.

xBeccax_2

I haven't posted here before but having read this thread felt the need to add in my own experiences.

I graduated from university last year having spent 3 years away from home. I can honestly say it is one of the best decisions I could have made.

Before leaving I can remember feeling apprehensive and scared, I had no idea how I'd cope away from the comforts of home. I was also wishing for just another year as it seemed like such a scary transition. I still remember my parents waving me off and walking to my halls ready to embark on a new chapter in my life (many tears were shed on both sides).

However, immediately on getting into my hall I realized this was it and I'd have to cope. I went out the first night with others that I'd just met, needless to say none of us got blind drunk, taking drugs and bringing strangers back. The next night I stayed in with my new friends eating domino's and watching a film (there are always, always domino's offers for students so it was the cheapest pizza we could get!). The student experience encompasses so many different things it would be a mistake to assume there is only 'one way'.

Overall my experience was full of good and bad points. There were some awful moments where I just wanted to be at home and some amazing moments where I couldn't imagine ever being anywhere else. I could be out until any time of the morning or night and my parents never had to worry about when I'd be home. I wore ridiculous outfits and got ready with friends for themed socials (my room in final year was covered in glitter half the time from various outfits). I walked home at 7am having spent the entire night chatting with friends. I (on occasion) drunk too much and learnt my limits (and then learnt them again :rotfl:). I sat in halls discussing anything and everything until we saw the sun rise and realized we should probably all go to bed. Though I could of course have done many of these things at home, through having the freedom to make my own mistakes I was able to learn for myself. I would never have had this independence at home knowing my parents were always there to catch me if I fell.

Furthermore, many of my best memories weren't planned at all. Waking up after a night out and all gathering in the kitchen chatting, watching scary films until 5am, running out in the pouring rain with friends just because we could, so many decisions were spur of the moment meaning I would have missed out on them had I not been there. I could not have had the same experiences of spontaneity had I been at home purely because by its very nature events will need more planning.

Practically I learnt about bills and how high they could be. Numerous times I went to bed with a hot water bottle and hoody as we all tried to save money over winter! The heating wasn't put on as a matter of course, we all discussed and made decisions together about it.

Even the low points forced me to grow. When I needed to be left alone when upset I knew that I wouldn't have my parents knocking on my door asking what was wrong, I could get past it myself and move on without worrying them.

Yes I have a debt from this, however, knowing it does not have to be paid back until I start earning £21,000+, and even then only 9% of anything I earn over this amount makes it a little easier. As I'm currently studying a postgraduate course this debt has not yet made any difference to me.

I am living at home now and can say that I am beyond grateful for the experience I was afforded through living away while at university. I love living at home and am lucky that I have been able to come back here but I can honestly say I would not have swapped those three years for the world. Just thinking about it now makes me want to go back and do it all over again.

(Apologies for the length of this post - I got a little carried away!)

securityguy

stebiz wrote: »

Because she can't get the loan without the maintenance loan.

Nonsense. You can borrow just the fees, the fees plus the minimum loan, the fees plus the income-related loan (if your parents' income qualifies you), the fees plus either of the loans plus the grant (ditto).

Arthien

stebiz wrote: »

Congratulations on your 50k debt. Should only take about 20 years before Arthien plc starts to make a net profit.;)

Actually you've totally missed my point. As it doesn't affect my daily life, I'm managing to do all the things you have planned for your daughter despite my MASSIVE STUDENT DEBTS(!), and theres a good chance I won't ever have to pay it all back, the debt may as well not exist because it makes no difference to me at all.

lostinrates

Dunroamin wrote: »

I agree, some of his posts are contradictory. He doesn't want her to take the maintenance loan but he wants her to have it to pay for possible future study - he can't have it both ways.

Tbf, I think we are most of us little contradictory in our own lives.

I am totally, totally debt adverse and like to save money, yet took an expensive higher education option and now have a big mortgage and excessive cost of living. The two 'desires' are extremely contradictory and that's part of what makes me human. I think.

GoldenShadow

Why not uni digs year one, home for the rest? Then she establishes the friendship groups and can choose to keep up with who she wishes. Its up to her whether she wants to be saddled with the increased debt tbh, maybe explain it to her that way.

I am currently a student studying from home and I still needed the maintenance loan (about 4K, living in uni accommodation was £5,200 alone with food etc then on top. Kind of awkward on 4K hence I dropped out and came to a different uni from home).

The way I see it a student loan isn't a bad debt at all, probably the best debt I will ever have in my life in terms of affordability. I work part time as well and can easily manage that around my degree, its just whether people want to do it or not IME, a lot of people are so desperate for the uni experience they wont do anything that they feel might shelter even a moment.

onlyroz

Ultimately, if you are not taking on the financial burden then the decision should be hers to make. However, if she does decide to stay at home then I think you should treat her like an adult lodger - so she cooks her own food, does her own washing, is expected to keep her areas of the house tidy, and is allowed to bring back whoever she wants as long as it doesn't disturb the rest of the household.

I went a long way from home to university and looking back I'd say that it was the best few years of my life. Yes, there was plenty of sex and alcohol, and I "only" ended up with £14k of debt rather than the £40-50k that is likely for today's students, but the experience of being out from mummy and daddy's protection, but still in a relatively safe environment (i.e. student halls of residence) is worth a great deal.

Perhaps you can suggest that your daughter spends the first year in halls and then decide whether she wants to move back home or find a house-share with her friends for subsequent years? I know that for me, having to find somewhere to live for years 2-4 of my degree was a major source of stress, because the university could only accommodate us for the first year. Knowing that I had the option of going back home if I wanted would have been a comfort.