University Subsistence

Colin Bells Holdall said:
How much do you give your kids to live on when they go to university.
I am in the fortunate position that both my kids start as freshers in the next fortnight.
I expect them to get a part time job for the days not in university.
The rent is mainly covered by the student maintenance loan, but it will leave nothing for food.
Thanks.
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All the statistics show One of the most sure fire ways of making sure they don’t get a first class degree is part time working.
Anyway, Martin Lewis has this guidance to the expected parental contribution.

 
As others have said, sometimes working part-time just isn’t an option depending on the course. I went to uni about 14 years ago now to do a STEM subject and I had about 40-50 hour weeks, more during exam season which was twice a year. The university told us that trying to work on top of that was the most common predictor of failing. That’s because it’s not like a manual job where you can physically push through to work longer hours, it is all mental work and the hours can drive you mad. I worked harder back then than I’ve ever done in any real job since.

I did a bit of work over the summer breaks to supplement what I had but during the year I had to just survive on maintenance grant. I got the full whack grant because my parent’s income was very low. Honestly, don’t know how I did it looking back but I remember a lot of Tesco value packs of noodles were involved and maxing my student overdraft and credit card. I suspect it’s even worse these days with current cost of living. Whether you live at home or not makes a big difference, I was in Edinburgh so nowhere near home. It was character-building but honestly a pretty awful lifestyle.

In answer to your question, I was living on about £10k a year I think. Rent and bills were most of that. I think I remember working out I had about £50 per week and I just about survived (this was 2009). Based on that I would ensure they have at least £100 pw after bills with the way things are now if they are living away from home otherwise they might come home with scurvy.
 
Colin Bells Holdall said:
How much do you give your kids to live on when they go to university.
I am in the fortunate position that both my kids start as freshers in the next fortnight.
I expect them to get a part time job for the days not in university.
The rent is mainly covered by the student maintenance loan, but it will leave nothing for food.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
My daughter lived at home, but she still got a hefty maintenance grant/loan. My lad did a year at Salford before he binned it off. During that year we gave him now't because his grants/loans were more than enough to cover his accommodation and subsistence. He had more disposable income than I did most weeks.

If they do need to work then they'll just have to be careful that any job isn't going to get in the way of their studies, but at £6.83/hour min wage at 18yo (my first job was around £1.45/hour) they'll rake in just North of £100 before tax if they manage to clock up 15 hours a week which is easily doable. They might not enjoy as expansive a social life as students who don't need to work to supplement their subsistence allowance, but at least they will understand the value of work.
 
Trevor Morley's Tache said:
My daughter lived at home, but she still got a hefty maintenance grant/loan. My lad did a year at Salford before he binned it off. During that year we gave him now't because his grants/loans were more than enough to cover his accommodation and subsistence. He had more disposable income than I did most weeks.

If they do need to work then they'll just have to be careful that any job isn't going to get in the way of their studies, but at £6.83/hour min wage at 18yo (my first job was around £1.45/hour) they'll rake in just North of £100 before tax if they manage to clock up 15 hours a week which is easily doable. They might not enjoy as expansive a social life as students who don't need to work to supplement their subsistence allowance, but at least they will understand the value of work.
Click to expand...
My lad finished college five month ago. I wanted him to get a job to give him a head start for uni. He has been pot washing in a local restaurant which started well but the hours have dwindled to nothing.
My daughter has worked hard over summer but I think she has spent most of what she has earnt. Now I don’t blame any teenager doing that especially after the shit few years of the pandemic but neither of my kids will have a load put by. We can help to a certain amount but if they want a social life then they will have to work.
 
I used to pay their accommodation and they would live off their loan so they were no worse off than if they were entitled to the grant.
 
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