Parent uni contribution

ftointonn

My dd is starting uni in sept, and we’ll be applying for help with living costs and tuition fees, my question is do they just take the parents income or can you include other circumstances? Our income is self employed so at the moment we are border line as the any financial contribution. However we have debt and next year another child at uni too, could we get those things taken into account ??

flashg67

In a word, no (as far as my experience goes anyway) It does seem odd to me that people going to uni, who are, after all independent adults, are basically 'means tested' on their parents income, and that parents are therefore expected to contribute.
My partner's 2 daughters are at uni (so not even related to me, but my income is taken into account!)
Both of them got enough loan to cover fees and accommodation with a little left over to buy food (not luxury top end flats mind) and had to find jobs during term time, and during holidays when at home to support themselves.
Of course we'd never see them starve, but they had their expectations set before they went, as to how we were unable to contribute much, if anything on a regular basis
Hopefully yours will be able/willing to understand and find a way. Being skint as a student is all a part of life's learning curve isn't it?!

meer53

Debt isn't taken into account, the SLC use your household income as declared to HMRC to make their assessment. They will check the figures you provide them with against HMRC records.
When my daughter started last year SLC used 2016/17 figures, as my income for 2017/18 was less I provided them with a Current Year Income Form and they recalculated her loan amount based on these, so if you think your income will vary and be lower you may be able to do this.
My daughter isn't able to take on a part time job due to the way her course is so she's had to learn to budget very carefully !

silvercar

You will get a slight allowance for having another dependent, but it isn’t much.