Sadly mine will only get the basic maintenance loan and that doesn’t even cover accommodation. In my day I got a basic grant that was topped up by my parents - this is no different.
I don’t want my kids to take on a part time job as that would affect their studies. On their courses they’re expected to do 50+ hours preparation per week plus the 10 to 15 hours “contact time” - lectures, tutorials etc. I think 65 hours a week is enough for anyone. They’re both well capable of getting a first class degree from a top uni, and I don’t want to prejudice that by not giving them enough money. They can work in the holidays to build up more funds.
To get the full uni experience they need time (and money) to socialise and build up contacts for the future.
I still haven’t worked out how much to give him yet, I need to sit down with him and work out how much he’ll get in loans and how much the maximum loan would have been if he had been eligible, and see if just funding the gap will be enough.
Some of the universities have budget ideas on their websites that might be helpful. Make sure you check whether unis have bursaries available as well although some of these are means tested. My daughter got some money at Nottingham in her first year and my son will get some because his grades were high. I think whether or not you choose to help out with money or not is a personal choice and although we do help ours, they still learn to budget etc.
I forgot the bit where I used to go shopping with mum and dad, and have them buy everything for me!
And they used to drive me to and from Cardiff all the time.
I was spoiled rotten.
Still… Dad gets his own back every now and then. Sneaking bottles of whiskey into my shopping trolley… claiming he doesn’t understand Paypal, so could I pay for his ebay purchase… getting new glasses from work.
i went to uni in London so I got a super big loan to cover my rent and bills/ supplies for uni. My Dad was really good and gave me money for food each month, £25 a week, I was very lucky i didnt need a job, though i did start up my online shops to bring in a bit of extra cash!
My daughter is now going into her second Uni year and managed last year on loan and maintenance grant. Between myself and her grandparents we top her up with around £60 a month and a ‘Big shop’ at the beginning of the term. She also gets money on a card which she can only spend on books at a certain shop. I think she would have preferred the cash as she has a lot left on it at the moment!
She doesn’t starve but she certainly doesn’t eat as much meat or cheese as when she is at home!!
The thing with uni is that once they finish the course they seem to boomerang straight back home again, but without the sanity-saver of a back-to-uni start date.
I have a 22 year old son back home after living away at uni for four years and - I have to say - our relationship has hit rock bottom!
For me, it’s been more expensive having him back home than it ever was at uni, and the boundaries are blurred.
We’ve fallen out over jobs (his lack of), motivation, plans - who funds job hunting when it’s nationwide - and having just this week got tough he hasn’t spoken to me at all for 4 days.
When I waved him off to uni four years ago, I never thought how difficult it would be when the course finished!
@thesherbetpatch You’re not my mum, are you…?
She has exactly the same problem with my brother, only it’s been almost 7 years since he parted ways with his course.
Keep strong Sarah, it will be better for him in the long run (although he probably doesn’t think so at the moment which is why he’s sulking) he has to realise that you can’t keep funding him all his life, you’ve given him a great start and the rest is up to him (just to give food for thought when me & my hubby were 22 we were married with a mortgage and apart from a generous wedding present from my in-laws to help with our deposit we had to be independant) I hope he soon starts talking to you again and realises it might be ‘tough love’ but you are doing this because you love him not to be mean xxx
Most people i know seem to have had a couple of wobbly years after finshing uni, you get so used to seeing your friends every day and it has a really nice community feel living so close together, then suddenly everyone has to move home and find a proper job and i think it panicked us all a bit…
