Who should pay for kids to go to Uni? Kids or parents?

j.e.j.

Judi wrote: »

As it was, she said she didn't want the debt with no guaranteed job at the end of it.

Sounds sensible.. people are more aware now that a degree doesn't necessarily get you a well-paid job.

sulphate

fabforty wrote: »

I thought this sounded reasonable TBH. Her daughter isn't restricted to commutable universities - presumably she could study anywhere but would then have to fund their own accommodation and living costs as many do. If their daughter was serious about going to university, I doubt if this suggestion would have put her off.

But that's the point - depending on what the students' parents earn, a lot of the time the maintenance loans don't even cover the cost of accommodation. I don't think it's unreasonable that a couple earning a decent salary are expected to help their children through university.

toniq wrote: »

Think you hit the nail on the head, there will never be a fair system,Just upset me dropping one of my girls in their first year at the cheapest halls which as you can imagine were very basic and in need of major repair,whilst hearing of boasting from some acquaintance that there kid had one of the better halls yet they don't work.

You forget that those students, whilst possibly being eligible for a grant, are also funding that "lavish" accommodation through larger maintenance loans. It's not "free money". Most graduates will earn over the threshold eventually, and will spend longer paying their loan back than your children. And no, student loans aren't "bad debt" - but as a graduate myself and a FTB-er last year, I know that it is taken into account when applying for things like a mortgage.

Buttonmoons

I just started studying nursing at uni this year (had studied for 2 years previously at college) and my tutor group (and the majority of the others) are all 17/18 year olds. We get a nursing bursary, which we do not need to pay back - essentially you can go to uni and leave debt free - but I'm not in the student halls like most of them, and I have a child which means I get a bit more but there monthly bursary is around £550 and halls are around £120 PW - doesn;t leave them much left to live off + get bus passes etc.

As we get nursing bursary we are not allowed to apply for any loans, hardship grants, discretionary funds AT ALL - If I could, I personally would of taken a small loan to cover the excess in my childcare fees throughout the year as the max you can claim is £23 a week.....(If anyone can find childcare for that for 5 days they must be magic! ) hah!

Indie_Kid

Buttonmoons wrote: »

I just started studying nursing at uni this year (had studied for 2 years previously at college) and my tutor group (and the majority of the others) are all 17/18 year olds. We get a nursing bursary, which we do not need to pay back - essentially you can go to uni and leave debt free - but I'm not in the student halls like most of them, and I have a child which means I get a bit more but there monthly bursary is around £550 and halls are around £120 PW - doesn;t leave them much left to live off + get bus passes etc.

As we get nursing bursary we are not allowed to apply for any loans, hardship grants, discretionary funds AT ALL - If I could, I personally would of taken a small loan to cover the excess in my childcare fees throughout the year as the max you can claim is £23 a week.....(If anyone can find childcare for that for 5 days they must be magic! ) hah!

That's really bad. I was going to say something; but then realised you're in Scotland where the system is different. The English system is better.

kitty_kins

Parents - kids need to focus on studying

Having been to University and worked all the way through, I still say parents. My grades took a massive hit when I was working and so I don't think it is worth that extra stress.

I had the bare minimum of student loan with my parents only helping out with my food. This was because I am fortunate enough to come from a family with an income of £50k+ so I didn't get as much support.

I think student loans are a fantastic way to pay for University, but failing that I believe having a special kind of saving account available would be another solution so parents can start saving to send their kids to Uni from an earlier age. If your child doesn't go to University then bonus: you have enough to get them started with a house deposit. This is how my partner and I plan to do things when we have children.

lulu_92

Kids - going to Uni is about learning to look after yourself

Why should the parents have to pay if their child decides to go to university? Of course parents are supposed to give their children the best opportunities in life but if a child chooses to go to university that's their choice and they should be responsible for it. Especially now more people are choosing to go to university.

My parents earned too much for me to get any additional help (which sucked when I moved out in second year) but they could not afford to support me once I was there. The loans system needs to be based on expenditure and not earnings. I doubt I could go to the bank and get a mortgage just by telling them my annual salary, they need to know if I could afford the payments, just like the loans system should be told if parents can afford to support kids at uni.

Indie_Kid

lulu_92 wrote: »

Why should the parents have to pay if their child decides to go to university? Of course parents are supposed to give their children the best opportunities in life but if a child chooses to go to university that's their choice and they should be responsible for it. Especially now more people are choosing to go to university.

My parents earned too much for me to get any additional help (which sucked when I moved out in second year) but they could not afford to support me once I was there. The loans system needs to be based on expenditure and not earnings. I doubt I could go to the bank and get a mortgage just by telling them my annual salary, they need to know if I could afford the payments, just like the loans system should be told if parents can afford to support kids at uni.

which means you're going to have someone with a higher loan because their parents have chosen a larger mortgage, which isn't right, imo.

I got max loan and grant because my parents (through no fault of their own) were at the time, on a low income. So, why should someone get the same amount because their parents have chosen to have a larger mortgage?

lulu_92

Kids - going to Uni is about learning to look after yourself

Indie_Kid wrote: »

which means you're going to have someone with a higher loan because their parents have chosen a larger mortgage, which isn't right, imo.

I got max loan and grant because my parents (through no fault of their own) were at the time, on a low income. So, why should someone get the same amount because their parents have chosen to have a larger mortgage?

I agree with that but that's where the testing needs to be more thorough. My parent's had about £160k on their mortgage when I went to uni, but we had a 4 bed house converted to a 5 bed because of my step-siblings. my step-dad also has to pay child maintenance for his two kids - so in my case, did I deserve a lower loan and no grants or bursaries because my step-dad's ex wife ran off with someone else and screwed him out of a lot of money? (as he lives with my mum he was responsible for me, so they took his pay into account)

It's all subjective but I think everyone should get the same amount of loan ( not including bursaries/grants in this) because it all has to be paid back under the same criteria.

sulphate

lulu_92 wrote: »

I agree with that but that's where the testing needs to be more thorough. My parent's had about £160k on their mortgage when I went to uni, but we had a 4 bed house converted to a 5 bed because of my step-siblings. my step-dad also has to pay child maintenance for his two kids - so in my case, did I deserve a lower loan and no grants or bursaries because my step-dad's ex wife ran off with someone else and screwed him out of a lot of money? (as he lives with my mum he was responsible for me, so they took his pay into account)

It's all subjective but I think everyone should get the same amount of loan ( not including bursaries/grants in this) because it all has to be paid back under the same criteria.

But that won't solve the problem of unfairness/inequality - parents who a) can afford to and b) want to will still give money to their children and those that can't/don't want to, won't.

My work colleague's only child has just left for uni last weekend, her & her husband's combined income means they are expected to part-fund him. She is going to go full time as soon as she can so they can do this and still maintain the same standard of living. Good for her IMO.

If parents earn decent salaries yet "can't afford" to give their child at least a little bit of money to enable them to eat properly (for example) then they perhaps should re-evaluate their priorities (or 3 holidays a year, in the case of my in laws).

I agree that students should work too if necessary, but a few hours a week behind a bar or in a shop isn't going to top up their income by a huge amount, it goes both ways. I worked too much whilst at uni. Some courses are so intense that students do not have time to work in term time, and I believe there are still a couple of universities that don't allow their students to work in term time (although how this is enforced I have no idea).

lulu_92

Kids - going to Uni is about learning to look after yourself

sulphate wrote: »

But that won't solve the problem of unfairness/inequality - parents who a) can afford to and b) want to will still give money to their children and those that can't/don't want to, won't.

My work colleague's only child has just left for uni last weekend, her & her husband's combined income means they are expected to part-fund him. She is going to go full time as soon as she can so they can do this and still maintain the same standard of living. Good for her IMO.

If parents earn decent salaries yet "can't afford" to give their child at least a little bit of money to enable them to eat properly (for example) then they perhaps should re-evaluate their priorities (or 3 holidays a year, in the case of my in laws).

I agree that students should work too if necessary, but a few hours a week behind a bar or in a shop isn't going to top up their income by a huge amount, it goes both ways. I worked too much whilst at uni. Some courses are so intense that students do not have time to work in term time, and I believe there are still a couple of universities that don't allow their students to work in term time (although how this is enforced I have no idea).

Oh yes I agree, I just think it should be an optional thing. No way could my parents have afforded to send my, my sister and my step sister to university in the space of 5 years and provide enough money for us to live. They bought us things for student digs, visited with a bunch of shopping but they could not have afforded to pay for anything more than that, and they're not particularly "loaded" either.

I worked all through my university life, as did my OH - some weeks I ended up working more than my full time hours. My grades didn't suffer and I have enough money to support myself, which I think is the point of university. You have to learn how to fend for yourself at some point. My ex went to uni with me and his brother was 26 at the time. He never went to university and still to this day (3 years later) does not know how to use a washing machine!