The Student Room Group

Student Nurse can't live on my bursary - help!

Hi

I have applied to go to university this September to study Nursing and I have used the bursary calculator to estimate what I can expect.

The calculations were based on my parents salaries and will entitle me to about £900 a year, plus about 3.5k student loan. That won't even pay my rent for my halls let alone let me live on, and my mum and dad can't afford to give me the huge contribution that student finance expects them to.

I will be able to work in my second and third year no problem and will obviously work as much as I can in my 1st year, but because of the shift work on placements it won't always be possible, that's if I can even get someone to employ me in the first place because I will need flexible hours.

Has anyone else been in the same situation? I keep telling my parents it will be fine, but I really don't think that it will and I'm worried!
Reply 1
how much will your rent be?
I known a couple of student nurses they both had jobs in a pub. So that's my suggestion.
Reply 3
I think your plans to work "in the second and third year no problem" are unrealistic......you are much less likely to be able to work in the second and third years than you are in the first year. You will have to find somewhere that will employ you on an as and when required basis, because you will be doing all sorts of shifts, often with only a weeks or less notice.
Reply 4
Original post by daniroberts824
Hi

I have applied to go to university this September to study Nursing and I have used the bursary calculator to estimate what I can expect.

The calculations were based on my parents salaries and will entitle me to about £900 a year, plus about 3.5k student loan. That won't even pay my rent for my halls let alone let me live on, and my mum and dad can't afford to give me the huge contribution that student finance expects them to.

I will be able to work in my second and third year no problem and will obviously work as much as I can in my 1st year, but because of the shift work on placements it won't always be possible, that's if I can even get someone to employ me in the first place because I will need flexible hours.

Has anyone else been in the same situation? I keep telling my parents it will be fine, but I really don't think that it will and I'm worried!


Look into temping, at my uni they have a place where you can sign up and they will just email you with temporary positions, like 5 days work here doing something and a day or two there doing something else. It's a zero hour contract so you have no obligation to do anything but there is always opportunities to do something so it's a lot easier to fit around your degree and placements and the pay is pretty good :smile: I don't know if every uni has something similar though...
As soon as your first placement's over, you should have clocked enough hours to be able to join an agency like NHSP. The reps were actually there during freshers when I was at uni and they explained a lot about the benefits of agency working. It's a good way to keep your skills polished, gain some exposure in new areas and earn some cash while fitting it in around your studies and placement blocks.

It might be worth talking to the finance department for whichever uni's you've applied to, to talk about what other options are available. Hardship loans, extra support etc, etc. Perhaps also sit down with your parents and talk it through with them. Are there any changes they could make to try and make it more feasible for you to afford?
Reply 6
Original post by Nymphadorable

Original post by Nymphadorable
As soon as your first placement's over, you should have clocked enough hours to be able to join an agency like NHSP. The reps were actually there during freshers when I was at uni and they explained a lot about the benefits of agency working. It's a good way to keep your skills polished, gain some exposure in new areas and earn some cash while fitting it in around your studies and placement blocks.

It might be worth talking to the finance department for whichever uni's you've applied to, to talk about what other options are available. Hardship loans, extra support etc, etc. Perhaps also sit down with your parents and talk it through with them. Are there any changes they could make to try and make it more feasible for you to afford?


I didn't think you were allowed to do this in 1st year, this is what I wanted to do! Thanks so much for this information, you've really put my mind at rest. My parents will help if I'm desperate but I don't want to have to rely on them!
Reply 7
Original post by minniiee

Original post by minniiee
how much will your rent be?


Depending on which uni I go to, it will be around the £100 a week mark - ish
Reply 8
Original post by daniroberts824
Depending on which uni I go to, it will be around the £100 a week mark - ish


you should be able to survive then
in my first year i got minimum loan (£3300) and no bursary, i got £180/month from parents my rent was 370£ a month (ish)
i had no job
i had enough money to eat/pay my rent/go out and still save enough to go on holiday that summer


ps not meaning to sound dismissive or arrogant - more reassuring
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by minniiee

Original post by minniiee
you should be able to survive then
in my first year i got minimum loan (£3300) and no bursary, i got £180/month from parents my rent was 370£ a month (ish)
i had no job
i had enough money to eat/pay my rent/go out and still save enough to go on holiday that summer


ps not meaning to sound dismissive or arrogant - more reassuring


Really? That makes me feel a lot better then, thanks very much! Maybe I need to re-do some sums!
Reply 10
I may be completely wrong but I thought NHS courses ran differently to normal student finance..According to this website I've found.. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/financialsupport/studentfunding/nursingnhsfundedcourses.aspx

which i know is the uni of nottingham and you may not be going there, but it should be the same everywhere, if you click on the nursing 2012 drop down thing, it says :

Nursing is changing from September 2012

Funding from 2012:

A £1,000 grant from the NHS
An income assessed Bursary from the NHS
A non income assessed reduced rate loan from Student Finance
NHS pays tuition fees

So you may have a bit more money then you originally thought, as you would get a bit more grant, an added bursary from the NHS and the loan.

Also £100 a week is an awful lot for rent, instead of halls why not look into house shares?
I know student nurses who works as HCAs on the weekends
Reply 12
Original post by daniroberts824
Hi

I have applied to go to university this September to study Nursing and I have used the bursary calculator to estimate what I can expect.

The calculations were based on my parents salaries and will entitle me to about £900 a year, plus about 3.5k student loan. That won't even pay my rent for my halls let alone let me live on, and my mum and dad can't afford to give me the huge contribution that student finance expects them to.

I will be able to work in my second and third year no problem and will obviously work as much as I can in my 1st year, but because of the shift work on placements it won't always be possible, that's if I can even get someone to employ me in the first place because I will need flexible hours.

Has anyone else been in the same situation? I keep telling my parents it will be fine, but I really don't think that it will and I'm worried!


Try to get a summer job or at the moment get a job in a supermarket... thats what I did...
Original post by minniiee
you should be able to survive then
in my first year i got minimum loan (£3300) and no bursary, i got £180/month from parents my rent was 370£ a month (ish)
i had no job
i had enough money to eat/pay my rent/go out and still save enough to go on holiday that summer


ps not meaning to sound dismissive or arrogant - more reassuring


That is an impressive feat in terms of money management... I sincerely doubt it's possible in every city.
Reply 14
Original post by AnonymousPenguin
That is an impressive feat in terms of money management... I sincerely doubt it's possible in every city.


tbf i didnt go out every week but i didnt miss out either
i didnt buy fast food or spend money on really expensive ingredients
and i didnt buy luxuries (like clothes etc) that often
and i lived in manchester if that helps :smile:
Reply 15
What uni r u going to

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