Parents earn enough to not qualify for larger loan - but wont help out

There isn't anything in any of my posts that suggests I believe poorer students have a better timing getting into universities that richer students. The reverse is provably the case. I have suggested that, in terms of finances alone, it is entirely possible for students with richer parents who don't contribute to their degree financially to struggle in a way that poorer students who receive a full grant won't (unless they are reckless with their money).

I understand your confusion, as it's easy for the terminology 'rich student' to be applied to both students of personal wealth (who clearly won't struggle) and students with rich parents, who - if they aren't financially supported by said parents - may actually struggle very significantly once they are at university supporting themselves on the basic loan alone. Once you get into a reasonably lengthy discussion on the subject, it's easy to forget that parental wealth and student wealth aren't necessarily related - and indeed in the case of the original poster they aren't.

The reason I feel public schools aren't relevant to the discussion is because they are a factor in the inequality of university places offered, whereas financial support is something that affects students while they are at university, but does not influence a university's decision to accept a student.

I couldn't disagree with this anymore.

Divorce is happening among many families from all areas of society. Money doesn't also result in a comfortable lifestyle.

I'm sure that this topic has been discussed many times before, but I used the search function and searched google for quite a while and couldn't find relevant information. I couldn't work out any good specific keywords to use or anything. Sorry if this is a common question that everyone is bored of answering!

As I say in the title, my parents earn enough for me to only qualify for the smallest maintenance loan. However, they are refusing to pay any money towards me going to university.

Currently I have a job and am working a lot of hours to save up money for living so my maintenance loan can go on my accommodation. The course that I am (hopefully) going to be taking also extends in to the summer and I will have only a few weeks of time off the entire year. It also involves shifts at a hospital which cycle, meaning what free time I do have will change in a manner that makes getting a regular job very difficult.

I don't think that I will be able to save enough money to fund all of my years at university. Saving enough for the first year will not be a problem, but even for the second year it may be difficult. Is there any way to get a larger student loan despite my parents' high earnings? Perhaps declaring independence some how?

Other possibilities I have considered are:

Begging the bank for a loan. I don't want to do this particularly because of interest.

Working for a call centre from home while at university. I may have to do this as it seem like the only job with flexible hours that I can work. Ideally I will not have to resort to this as my course will be very time consuming, but I recognise that it may be my only option.

Not go to university. Obviously this is the option I am trying to avoid.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help here.

I'm sure that this topic has been discussed many times before, but I used the search function and searched google for quite a while and couldn't find relevant information. I couldn't work out any good specific keywords to use or anything. Sorry if this is a common question that everyone is bored of answering!

As I say in the title, my parents earn enough for me to only qualify for the smallest maintenance loan. However, they are refusing to pay any money towards me going to university.

Currently I have a job and am working a lot of hours to save up money for living so my maintenance loan can go on my accommodation. The course that I am (hopefully) going to be taking also extends in to the summer and I will have only a few weeks of time off the entire year. It also involves shifts at a hospital which cycle, meaning what free time I do have will change in a manner that makes getting a regular job very difficult.

I don't think that I will be able to save enough money to fund all of my years at university. Saving enough for the first year will not be a problem, but even for the second year it may be difficult. Is there any way to get a larger student loan despite my parents' high earnings? Perhaps declaring independence some how?

Other possibilities I have considered are:

Begging the bank for a loan. I don't want to do this particularly because of interest.

Working for a call centre from home while at university. I may have to do this as it seem like the only job with flexible hours that I can work. Ideally I will not have to resort to this as my course will be very time consuming, but I recognise that it may be my only option.

Not go to university. Obviously this is the option I am trying to avoid.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help here.

I didn't post in absolutes, I used the word chances are. And for that the chance is that if you are from 'poor broken family' you are less likely to go to university than someone from a 100k a year family who have a delightful chalet in the Maldives. Thats life, and my post was also meant to be taken in jest, I thought "break your middle class chains" highlighted that.

On Topic: What degree are you hoping to study for?

Thanks for the prompt response! I guess I will have to contact Student Finance, as I probably should have before making this thread

I feel like there must be a way through this, though. It doesn't make sense for the government to assume your parents are willing to pay. I feel privileged that my parents have money and am thankful for that, but purely in the context of student loans isn't this policy a bit discriminatory? For my bank account, my parents refusing to pay is effectively the same as my parents being unable to pay. Why the discrepancy?

I can understand your predicament. I'm in a similar situation my parents say they aren't going to give me any money for University as their parents didn't help them yet they earn to much money. However, I've still got a year to figure it out I guess, I'm gonna keep an eye on this thread.

The thing is though, living expenses vary vastly across the country so for some it's more "doable" than others.

In Leicester, for example, my friend is paying £90 per week for her ensuite room. I, on the other hand, am paying £130 pw for more or less the same room in Southampton.

True. But I'm staying in London, which is very expensive.

1. for the most part rich parents

2. are compassionate enough to support their children through university

3.this case is exceptional

4. poor students need the money more

Your final statement is absolutely ridiculous. No one thinks like that. People with rich parents are by no means 'ignored', they have a massive advantage over those from working class backgrounds. How many millionaires do you think went to state schools? How many people in the very top jobs went to state schools? How many cabinet members went to state schools? Etc etc.

I feel sorry for the OP, but in general middle class students are much much better off than working class students when it comes to education. Please don't try to pretend otherwise.

x

I think you can apply for Student Finance WITHOUT declaring how much your parents earn, and just get the standard loan. Not sure.

You get an increased loan in London, which I found actually works out better than if you live in another area of the country which is expensive but for which you don't get an increased loan.

When I had an offer from UCL (and a consequent student finance offer of an increased loan), I worked out I would be living on £65 more per week than I am now after my accommodation fees.