Parents in England expected to contribute up to £15,000 a year towards children's uni living costs

MSE_Emily

Parents and carers in England have to contribute up to £15,127 a year in order for their children to have a minimum acceptable standard of living at university, according to a major new report published today...

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Parents in England expected to contribute up to £15,000 a year towards children's university living costs, new report finds

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sammyjammy

Its always been that way if parents earn over the income limit.  Most people just can't contribute that so students need to get jobs or manage on less.

One of the reasons (IMO) that you should only go to Uni if you need a degree to do the job you want.

It can be a "right of passage" but only if you can afford it!  There are so many other options with work and Apprenticeships these days.

sammyjammy

I love the way we can't have discussion posts but MSE bods can create them!

born_again

Is that £15K to fund the social side of student life?

Might need to up it a bit if the regular antics seen are anything to go buy 🤣

2childmum2

Neither of my children (one graduated, one still a student) have needed anything like that amount of money and have still been able to live quite happily. They have been home some summer holidays (apart from one internship each) and worked for a few weeks during that time, but neither have worked whilst away. 
The money we have contributed has just about brought them up to the maximum maintenance loan.
This report is likely to put students off of going to uni if they think they need this amount of money.

silvercar

sammyjammy said:

Its always been that way if parents earn over the income limit.  Most people just can't contribute that so students need to get jobs or manage on less.

One of the reasons (IMO) that you should only go to Uni if you need a degree to do the job you want.

It can be a "right of passage" but only if you can afford it!  There are so many other options with work and Apprenticeships these days.

The article says it isn’t only if parents earn over the limit, it is that the max loan hasn’t kept up with costs, so even on a maximum loan there is a large shortfall.

silvercar

I think it depends on the uni location. Go somewhere like Bristol and rents are high and there are many opportunities to spend money. In a quiet town eg Bangor there may be much cheaper rents and less to spend money on.

letsbenice

Well in Exeter just accommodation without utility bills is £9500 plus - the cheapest. Room in a shared house. Similar with Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol... if parents exceed the income bracket which in London is not that hard, student does not get the loan. I don't think £5000 a year for utility bills, food, toiletries, commuting, printing/study related costs is a lot for a year. Do you? I am secondary account holder on my daughter's bank account and can see that even on night out she just buys a soft drink in a club 1 per night. Sometimes I feel really sorry for such a poor student life. In effect kids of parents on benefits are better off as benefits don't count as income - they get to full £10,450 loan and a bursary from university. Sorry but it does not pay to do well in this country. 

letsbenice

silvercar said:

I think it depends on the uni location. Go somewhere like Bristol and rents are high and there are many opportunities to spend money. In a quiet town eg Bangor there may be much cheaper rents and less to spend money on.

Students should not have to go to inferior university just because accommodation in top unis - Bristol Exeter Cambridge Oxford, etc is so expensive. And loan for adult should not be based on parental income. What if parent has 2-3 kids at uni? Or pays care home fees? High mortgage? Or does not agree with degree choice? Or simply won't pay? And kids of benefit claimants who get UC and housing benefits, which in London come to 40k plus a year, get the full loan = really fair?

letsbenice

born_again said:

Is that £15K to fund the social side of student life?

Might need to up it a bit if the regular antics seen are anything to go buy 🤣

You cannot be serious accom in Exeter and Bristol £9500 for one grubby room without utility bills. 

LightFlare

Shock horror -- going to Uni costs money

It might stop a lot of these useless degrees that they do that have zero use in the real world