starting uni in september and desperate for finance info

benladdie3000

hello guys,

I'm starting a foundation degree in health and social care as of September, my question relates to the maintenance loan and parents learning allowance. I currently earn 18k a year and my partner 9k, we have 4 small children all under 7. I have used the online calculator and it says I can claim 8k maintenance loan per year and 1600 parents learning allowance. can anyone shed some light as to how accurate these numbers sound. I'm sceptical , as they sound fairly high, and I don't want to start a course that means I cant afford to live. thanks in advance.

ceb1995

I graduated a couple of years ago but as a single student with no dependants I got 7.2k a year so the calculator sounds quite accurate.

benladdie3000

did u have children??? how come its gone up

benladdie3000

Does anyone know if the figures quoted are in any way accurate???

Ed-1

benladdie3000 wrote: »

did u have children??? how come its gone up

The figures are accurate. Maintenance grants were abolished for new students starting in 16/17 onwards and the maintenance loan was increased by more than the maximum maintenance grant and since then the bigger maintenance loan has received a full inflationary uplift.

So total support is higher than for students who started in 15/16 or before.

See my posts below:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=71688146&postcount=3771

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=71739674&postcount=3777