The Student Room Group

What is the maximum number of hours you can work (part-time) as a full-time student?

Pretty much the title.

I start my training today and they will ask me/tell me do X number of hours.

What is the maximum number of hours I can work, in a part-time job and still be classified as a full-time student?

Also, does overtime affect it at all?

Is there a set amount? 16? 20? 24?

Thanks. :smile:
Reply 1
As a full-time second year student in the Netherlands (English Language and Culture) I can work 20 - 24 hours without any problem during office hours.. But that's because I have only 13 hours of classes, all scheduled on Monday and Thursday

do you want to work office hours or are evenings also an option?
There isn't a set amount of hours.
Working around lecture times, in evenings and on weekends you could easily do the same number of hours as someone in a full time job.
Realisticly, it will depend on your lecture timetable how much work you have to do out of lectures and how much free time you would want / need.
Reply 3
Original post by WelshBluebird
There isn't a set amount of hours.
Working around lecture times, in evenings and on weekends you could easily do the same number of hours as someone in a full time job.
Realisticly, it will depend on your lecture timetable how much work you have to do out of lectures and how much free time you would want / need.


Oh okay, i'm on a gap year, so not very many.

I attend 2-3 days a week usually finished by 4pm, so I can pretty much do all evenings, right?

I have some unconditional offers so may not even need the courses I attend 2-3 times a week, but thanks for the reply. :smile:
Reply 4
If i'm a student, will I still get taxed?

What's the name of the form to claim my tax back?

Does anybody have a link? :smile:
Reply 5
Get on the dole mate like the rest of us
Reply 6
Original post by FattyInNeed
If i'm a student, will I still get taxed?

What's the name of the form to claim my tax back?

Does anybody have a link? :smile:



1) There isn't a set amount of hours. Universities recommend that you work no more than 15 hours a week to have time for your studies, but obviously this depends on the person and if you feel you can handle more then do more. Last year I was working 20-25 hours a week and somehow still managed to pass the first year. However this year I've asked for 15 and they've been giving me about 20-26 so far and I feel that I can't cope with anything more than 15.

2) Being a student doesn't make you exempt from paying tax. The only time you don't pay tax as a student is if you only work during the holidays (or I think if it's your first job). If you work throughout the year then you will be taxed just like everyone else.


Edit: If you work for an employer during term-time, any Income Tax and National Insurance due will be deducted from your wages before you receive them. This is known as Pay As You Earn (PAYE).

Everybody can earn a certain amount before they start paying Income Tax - this is the personal allowance (£6,475 for the tax year 2010-11).

For the tax year 2010-11, you begin making National Insurance contributions when you earn above £110 a week (the earnings threshold). To find out more about Income Tax and National Insurance, follow the links below.


That's copied and pasted from direct gov directly. This is the page it is on:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/LifeAtUniversityOrCollege/DG_10035694
(edited 13 years ago)
Well, it all depends on how much effort your willing to fire into your studies. All in all though, before i decided to go back into education, realistically i was dedicating 70-75 hours each week from getting up in the morning to go to work to when i came back in through the door. I still had a good 5-6 hours to fluff around and do everything else in each day.

But now including travel time and sorting myself out to get ready ect ect, college is up around 19.5 hours. I probably spend around. around 10-12 hours outside of college on it. Now having 11 hours a day free time just well, i`m struggling to fill it to say the least.

Uni i reckon for every hour your in lectures its a good chance you`ll spend another 2 outside of it on your work. So say it takes up a total of 45 hours of your time a week. youv`e still got a good 60 hours to do whatever you want in, work or play.

See if you can arrange a permanent overtime setup with your work place.
(edited 13 years ago)
Im working a rather funny combined total of 36 hours a week at two different Internet companies, while studying full time.

Its starting to get hairy.
Original post by WelshBluebird
There isn't a set amount of hours.
Working around lecture times, in evenings and on weekends you could easily do the same number of hours as someone in a full time job.
Realisticly, it will depend on your lecture timetable how much work you have to do out of lectures and how much free time you would want / need.


Yeah- this is correct.
I havent actually heard of a set amount of hours anyway.
There isnt any law saying how many hours you can/cant do.
Reply 10
Original post by _Shanice_
1) There isn't a set amount of hours. Universities recommend that you work no more than 15 hours a week to have time for your studies, but obviously this depends on the person and if you feel you can handle more then do more. Last year I was working 20-25 hours a week and somehow still managed to pass the first year. However this year I've asked for 15 and they've been giving me about 20-26 so far and I feel that I can't cope with anything more than 15.

2) Being a student doesn't make you exempt from paying tax. The only time you don't pay tax as a student is if you only work during the holidays (or I think if it's your first job). If you work throughout the year then you will be taxed just like everyone else.


Edit: If you work for an employer during term-time, any Income Tax and National Insurance due will be deducted from your wages before you receive them. This is known as Pay As You Earn (PAYE).

Everybody can earn a certain amount before they start paying Income Tax - this is the personal allowance (£6,475 for the tax year 2010-11).

For the tax year 2010-11, you begin making National Insurance contributions when you earn above £110 a week (the earnings threshold). To find out more about Income Tax and National Insurance, follow the links below.


That's copied and pasted from direct gov directly. This is the page it is on:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/LifeAtUniversityOrCollege/DG_10035694


Are you sure a FULL-TIME student and PART-TIME worker gets taxed? :redface:

I thought students could claim that tax back by filling in a form???
Reply 11
If you are a student here on a student visa, you can only work for 20 hours a week. Other than that, there are no set amount of hours that you are limited to work.

I worked 10-20 hours and I felt it was a bit too much. Plus, my job was ****e anyway, so I quit the other week.
Original post by FattyInNeed
Are you sure a FULL-TIME student and PART-TIME worker gets taxed? :redface:

I thought students could claim that tax back by filling in a form???


I believe that's a common misconception. If you earn over your personal allowance of £6,475, you'll be taxed, regardless of whether you're a student or not.

I'm certain the 'form' you're referring to is one where you claim tax back that's been paid on earnings where your tax code was incorrect and you've paid tax when you shouldn't have. It's nothing to do with being a student.
Original post by FattyInNeed
Are you sure a FULL-TIME student and PART-TIME worker gets taxed? :redface:

I thought students could claim that tax back by filling in a form???




Yes I am sure lol. Why would I be lying to you and why would the tax system lie?!

I already told you ONLY if you work holidays and NOT term time are you allowed to be tax free. Being a student doesn't make you exempt from tax as much as you want it to, that's not the case. If it was then I wouldn't be paying any, but life doesn't work like that!

Bare in mind though, it's only if you're earning over the £6,475 a year which works out about £110 or £120 a week.
Original post by WhereIsMyMind
I believe that's a common misconception. If you earn over your personal allowance of £6,475, you'll be taxed, regardless of whether you're a student or not.



This.

Thank god someone else can back me up here!

I used to think myself you didn't get taxed if you're a student, but then found out it's only if you don't work during term time. Sucks, but that's life.
Reply 15
Original post by _Shanice_
Yes I am sure lol. Why would I be lying to you and why would the tax system lie?!

I already told you ONLY if you work holidays and NOT term time are you allowed to be tax free. Being a student doesn't make you exempt from tax as much as you want it to, that's not the case. If it was then I wouldn't be paying any, but life doesn't work like that!

Bare in mind though, it's only if you're earning over the £6,475 a year which works out about £110 or £120 a week.


Ah okay, thanks!

I'm going to be working from now until Late August/September next year - then I head off until University.

Will I still be taxed? Assuming I do 15-20 hours a week.

(if my job keep me on post-Christmas, that is :redface:)
Original post by FattyInNeed
Ah okay, thanks!

I'm going to be working from now until Late August/September next year - then I head off until University.

Will I still be taxed? Assuming I do 15-20 hours a week.

(if my job keep me on post-Christmas, that is :redface:)



If you earn enough to be taxed then yes.

Why don't you believe me lol.
Original post by _Shanice_


2) Being a student doesn't make you exempt from paying tax. The only time you don't pay tax as a student is if you only work during the holidays (or I think if it's your first job). If you work throughout the year then you will be taxed just like everyone else.



The first part of this is correct, being a student doesn't make you exempt from paying tax.

The second part is a mis-interpretation of the tax website. If you earn under the tax threshold, then you don't have to pay tax. However, most employment will pay you more than the tax threshold, so the default position for the taxman is that you pay tax, and then if you don't earn above the threshold by the end of the tax year, the taxman pays you back.

However, nowadays, with so many students getting holiday work that does keep them below the tax threshold, they can fill in the form P38(S) because the assumption changes to an assumption that they won't earn above the tax threshold, and so they aren't taxed on their pay.

But if a student manages to earn more than the tax threshold in any financial year, no matter what time of year they earn that money, they will be liable to pay tax on that amount over the threshold.
That threshold is pitiful. I know minimum wage is lower but even so.

Working hours will depend on your college workload. People can and do work 30+ hours. I myself worked increasing hours as my lecture hours decreased, 18 hours in 1st year, 22 hours in second year, 25-27 hours during 3rd year and part of 4th year (left a few weeks ago). It was absolutely possible, my uni and my workplace were a 5 minute walk apart. Essays and assignments were tough alright but that's due to my own poor time-management when writing essays- all nighters all the way. Brilliant earning €330 a week when everyone else can't afford to do anything. Soooo worth it.
Original post by threeportdrift
The first part of this is correct, being a student doesn't make you exempt from paying tax.

The second part is a mis-interpretation of the tax website. If you earn under the tax threshold, then you don't have to pay tax. However, most employment will pay you more than the tax threshold, so the default position for the taxman is that you pay tax, and then if you don't earn above the threshold by the end of the tax year, the taxman pays you back.

However, nowadays, with so many students getting holiday work that does keep them below the tax threshold, they can fill in the form P38(S) because the assumption changes to an assumption that they won't earn above the tax threshold, and so they aren't taxed on their pay.

But if a student manages to earn more than the tax threshold in any financial year, no matter what time of year they earn that money, they will be liable to pay tax on that amount over the threshold.



I wasn't mis-interpreting the tax website actually, I was saying what I was told by the tax office themselves. Obviously if you earn over the threshold you will be taxed but I'm guessing the assumption is that if you work holidays then you won't earn enough. But I wasn't mis-intepreting the website, as I said I was just relaying the information I was told by the tax office!

Edit: Sorry, didn't mean to sound as arsey as I did. Tired from working today and it just annoyed me how you assumed I'd just mis-read the website when actually I was only telling OP what I'd been told by the tax office a few years back when I thought the same as OP about working and being a student.
(edited 13 years ago)

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