Do you think student finance is enough to live on

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I wouldn't have but my uni gives a £4000 yearly attainment and opportunity scholarship to those with A level grades of at least AAB and a low family income.

I don't get it for my 5th and final year though because of the stupid NHS bursary :angry:

. But for the past 4 years I was pretty much living very comfortably because of it.

Reply 61

HeavyTeddy

Considering that the money some people recieve equates to the amount my family lives on per year, I'd say yes.

Reply 62

la-dauphine

Most of my friends have to work because they can't live on £4.5k per year - it only just covers their accommodation costs. I'm at Oxford and the richest and poorest students often do fine because of generous bursaries and wealthy/generous parents - it's the students from families on £30-£40k a year, maybe with a couple of siblings too, who struggle most, because their parents aren't vastly well off but they're not getting bursaries.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 63

Cal97g

Poor people shouldn't get to go to university, unless they re-mortgage their house like 6 times or something.

What I mean is: the state shouldn't pay for/give a loan to anybody going to university.

Reply 64

HeavyTeddy

Original post by Cal97g

Poor people shouldn't get to go to university, unless they re-mortgage their house like 6 times or something.

What I mean is: the state shouldn't pay for/give a loan to anybody going to university.

Why shouldn't poor people be given the same opportunities rich people do?

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Reply 65

Cal97g

Original post by HeavyTeddy

Why shouldn't poor people be given the same opportunities rich people do?

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Because it's not fair to make someone else pay for it.

Reply 66

Farid Jalil

Original post by Cal97g

Because it's not fair to make someone else pay for it.

We the student will be paying for it

Reply 67

Cal97g

Original post by Farid Jalil

We the student will be paying for it

State (other people) subsidize it.

Reply 68

DavidYorkshireFTW

No, my parents have to pay for my accommodation.
My student loans falls about £2000 short of my accommodation :frown:

Reply 69

la-dauphine

I fail to see what's wrong with people pooling together to provide opportunities for bright students from low income backgrounds. I take it you're also against the existence of the NHS, because the taxpayer contributes to it?

Reply 70

Cal97g

Original post by la-dauphine

Yup.

Original post by DavidYorkshireFTW

No, my parents have to pay for my accommodation.
My student loans falls about £2000 short of my accommodation :frown:

Bawwwww

Reply 71

jelly1000

It's not supposed to for all but the poorest students.

Reply 72

dg2009

Original post by MarilynDixon

I know there are ways in everything. "I will of course You will", but if you have determination like I have? Remember this person has a unique character and ability to handle their problems and situations. If you think nobody undergo the same situation you have now, I can say that it's okay to give up, but I don't think no one experienced what you have now. Think for yourself, do you think you did all possible solutions to your problems or just think worst without doing anything? Make yourself proud and worthy that you live.

Original post by Ronove

It doesn't sound like you have any idea how much £2000 is. Or were you suggesting something like prostitution would be appropriate?

It doesn't even read as English to me.

Reply 73

discomposure

Not for me, my rent for the year totals ~£100 more than my loan. I'm only able to be at university as I had some money saved before coming and my parents give me £100 a month in term time, plus they pay for my train fare when I visit home. But I expect to finish my degree well into my overdraft tbh.

I think the standard loan amount should be higher and the same for all regardless of parental income, after all we pay it back based on our own earnings after leaving uni. Its crap for SFE to just assume peoples families can make up the difference, and even out of those that CAN afford it that doesn't necassarily mean they will
Saying that, I do think grants should remain for those in lower income brackets.

Reply 74

Adamlfc20

I am in my 3rd year in university now and i don't receive the full amount but it is not enough for me personally. My rent in accommodation is quite high which i expected but i can just get by. I rarely ever spent vasts amount of money on going out and drinking, it always seemed a waste to me. First year i completely spent my first installment within a matter of weeks which hit me hard! I don't get money monthly from my parents either but if i seriously needed money, i would lend it and pay it back as soon as i could. But i totally agree that students with lower income families should receive grants etc, otherwise its totally unfair!
I know students who come from very wealthy families and they pay nothing, they have their loans for accommodation and food, drinks and holidays due to being given money monthly to live on and these students moan about students with lower income families receive more money, Many times i have had arguments and debates why i think they should get more money because its tough and unfair. If the student is determined and wants to make something of himself/herself and pursue a career in what they love then, they should get the funding, they're going to pay it back eventually.

Reply 75

Ruffiio

Lets just say if my family was earning around 2000£ less then they wouldn't have to pay any tax when the new tax free limit is introduced which is what, 10,000?

I get full student loan and grant and my university cancels out my accommodation costs to help me. I guess what i'm trying to say here without looking like i'm bragging is why don't universities help more themselves or are they just unwilling because your parents all earn over 25,000.

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Reply 76

345rty

If I had the normal maintenance loan then yes it would be.

That said back in first year when I did get the £3.3k maintenance loan rent alone was almost £2k more than that for the year.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 77

Portia1993

I reckon so. I sat down and worked out everything a few days ago as I go off to uni in September
I worked out after travel and accommodation etc I will have a nice healthy amount to live off
(I'll be studying in London and with no help from my mother as I don't see her - been living by myself for nearly 3 years now)

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Reply 78

SilverstarDJ

Original post by Alfissti

I personally believe there shouldn't be any grants awarded based upon household income, it should be awarded based upon merit. Loans, I think it is an unfair system to base it upon household income as plenty of people fall within the cracks of the system and many who get minimum loan and have parents who won't pay for their keep and minimum loan often means it won't even cover rent for your first year at the student halls in many of the good universities, is this what we call social mobility?

When you only have a limited amount of money to spend on loans, it makes sense to give grants to the poorer students, and less to those from richer families. This is because, a lot of people from those richer families can get money from their parents to allow them to go to uni whereas the poorest students would never have this opportunity.

As you mentioned, there ARE problems when some students don't get enough money to cover their rents (because their parents earn about x threshold), and their parents won't give them money either. For these students it invariably means working during the holidays and/or term time and also some good budgeting - but still possible to get by. Or students from divorced parents who get more money by only stating one parent's income despite two parents actually contributing (although not true for all students). But how can you solve this assuming you can't give people more loans without disadvantaging the very poorest students? It's a difficult question and not a perfect system. But at least we get some money to go to uni in the first place.

Some unis do give grants based on merit I believe.

Original post by Cal97g

Poor people shouldn't get to go to university, unless they re-mortgage their house like 6 times or something.

What I mean is: the state shouldn't pay for/give a loan to anybody going to university.

Some poorer students can actually be quite gifted in their subject area. They shouldn't be denied uni because of their parent's wage which is no fault of their own (or who have parents who can't remortgage) . Everyone should get the opportunity to go to uni.

Reply 79

xoxAngel_Kxox

In my opinion, rent should be paid directly to landlords just as fees are paid straight to the uni, and they should be capped at a maximum of a certain monthly amount to avoid people taking advantage.

There should be three different loans:

- Tuition loan
- Accommodation loan
- Cost of living loan

It would depend somewhat on where you study, but hopefully it should leave people able to borrow what they need. They could work out the average amount people spend at uni, and give a certain amount per term based on this.

Although I think the system is great in that people who couldn't previously afford HE are now able to consider it, I also think that it's a bit silly if, for some, the loan doesn't even cover rent - because if they could get the money any other way they wouldn't need a loan. It just makes the whole concept of the system slightly pointless in some cases. For the majority, though, a little careful budgeting would be all that was needed.