'Don't pay anything straight away' - RUBBISH?
Scroll to see replies
Original post by Foghorn Leghorn
So how do students at other universities manage? Infact how did you manage pitseleh?
Most students I know at other universities have part-time jobs, or get a helping hand from family.
I came from a poor family, so I got the full maintenance loan from the government, the full bursary from Oxford, and had a job during the summer holidays.
Edit: oh, do you mean "how do other students manage" with the employment/uni work balance? If so, most universities don't ask for an essay a week or more, meaning there's generally a bit more free time to take on a job.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by TheJ0ker
LOL why has the calculator just given me a figure of ~5k then when my parents earn over the 40k mark so I should be receiving the minimum loan there is?
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
Do enlighten me then, please.
Original post by TheJ0ker
LOL why has the calculator just given me a figure of ~5k then when my parents earn over the 40k mark so I should be receiving the minimum loan there is?
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
The minimum is nowhere near £5k, unfortunately. I get a maintenance loan of £3,300 this year:
Original post by aliluvschoc
Do enlighten me then, please.
I outlined what I know in my first post
Original post by Vickyy
The minimum is nowhere near £5k, unfortunately. I get a maintenance loan of £3,300 this year:
I'm not sure if you heard but the fee's system changed recently.....
Original post by XxelliexX
So, I just applied for Student Finance online.
As well as my tuition fees loan, I am entitled to a £3,575 a year maintenance loan.
If I meet my offer and go to Cambridge, my living costs will be approximately £7,170 a year.
(taken from http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/finance/costs.html)
So, that means that I will have to somehow obtain the extra £3,595 elsewhere.
This makes the whole 'You don't need to pay anything upfront,' 'Everyone can afford to go to university' argument obsolete.
How can they still claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront' when quite clearly, you do??! What they really mean is 'You don't need to pay for your tuition fees upfront'... which totally disregards the whole living expenses issue.
EDIT: Ok, to make it clear... this isn't primarily about my concern about not being to fund my education. It's more about the fact that many people (teachers, politicians, people who have come to my school to talk about funding, etc) make the claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront'. I just wanted to point out how fallacious this argument is.
Neither do I expect to get something for nothing. Note that I'm not claiming that I should be 'given' the money, rather that people should be entitled to be a larger loan.
As well as my tuition fees loan, I am entitled to a £3,575 a year maintenance loan.
If I meet my offer and go to Cambridge, my living costs will be approximately £7,170 a year.
(taken from http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/finance/costs.html)
So, that means that I will have to somehow obtain the extra £3,595 elsewhere.
This makes the whole 'You don't need to pay anything upfront,' 'Everyone can afford to go to university' argument obsolete.
How can they still claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront' when quite clearly, you do??! What they really mean is 'You don't need to pay for your tuition fees upfront'... which totally disregards the whole living expenses issue.
EDIT: Ok, to make it clear... this isn't primarily about my concern about not being to fund my education. It's more about the fact that many people (teachers, politicians, people who have come to my school to talk about funding, etc) make the claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront'. I just wanted to point out how fallacious this argument is.
Neither do I expect to get something for nothing. Note that I'm not claiming that I should be 'given' the money, rather that people should be entitled to be a larger loan.
In response to main point: yes, it's pretty rubbish, BUT the "don't need to pay upfront" argument has generally been wheeled out, in my experience, to say that the fee increase isn't enough to put you off (rather than to say financial reasons in general aren't enough to put you off). Of course, your teachers may have used it slightly differently.
Now, message to the OP personally:
Spoiler
(edited 12 years ago)
Obviously it works well for some people, good for them,
but the idea of living in halls for my entire degree, getting my dinner handed to me, and not having a job sounds like my worst nightmare!
It doesn't seem very independent
but the idea of living in halls for my entire degree, getting my dinner handed to me, and not having a job sounds like my worst nightmare!
It doesn't seem very independent
Original post by TheJ0ker
LOL why has the calculator just given me a figure of ~5k then when my parents earn over the 40k mark so I should be receiving the minimum loan there is?
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
You're wrong.
The minimum maintenance loan for 2012 is the figure that the OP posted. £3575. No ifs buts or maybes. That is the minimum and it is what many people will have to live on.
OP, the reason you will only receive this much is based on your parents income. It's tougher on you because you've chosen a university where you are technically not allowed to work. Tens of thousands of students will be in the same position as you are, where their minimum maintenance loan might only just, or not quite, cover their accommodation fees. They then get a job and live on sometimes as little as £10 a week.
On the whole, the not paying anything up front is true, but living costs still need to be met.
Original post by Popppppy
Obviously it works well for some people, good for them,
but the idea of living in halls for my entire degree, getting my dinner handed to me, and not having a job sounds like my worst nightmare!
It doesn't seem very independent
but the idea of living in halls for my entire degree, getting my dinner handed to me, and not having a job sounds like my worst nightmare!
It doesn't seem very independent
Many students live in house shares for years 2 and 3.
Original post by TheJ0ker
LOL why has the calculator just given me a figure of ~5k then when my parents earn over the 40k mark so I should be receiving the minimum loan there is?
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
Also I am applying this year and I have been told a lot about the finance side of things....
Original post by aliluvschoc
Do enlighten me then, please.
It's a sliding scale. People who's parents earn the very minimum tend to get minimum loan but at the same time a big grant/bursary from university. The loan scales up with your parents income until it peaks at about £40k p.a total household and then you get the max loan of 5.2k ish (numbers vary by a few hundred). This is because the govt. recognise that you're wealthy enough to get help when needed but not so rich as to expect your parents to fund everything. The amount then starts to taper back down the more your parents earn because it is then supposed that "daddy will pay for it all".
Original post by OU Student
Many students live in house shares for years 2 and 3.
Yeah but OPs link (Cambridge website) is worded in a way that insinuates staying in halls is best
Original post by Popppppy
Obviously it works well for some people, good for them,
but the idea of living in halls for my entire degree, getting my dinner handed to me, and not having a job sounds like my worst nightmare!
It doesn't seem very independent
but the idea of living in halls for my entire degree, getting my dinner handed to me, and not having a job sounds like my worst nightmare!
It doesn't seem very independent
No-one has to live in college if they don't want to - not even in first year (though most do).
Original post by Aesc
In response to main point: yes, it's pretty rubbish, BUT the "don't need to pay upfront" argument has generally been wheeled out, in my experience, to say that the fee increase isn't enough to put you off (rather than to say financial reasons in general aren't enough to put you off). Of course, your teachers may have used it slightly differently.
Now, message to the OP personally:
Now, message to the OP personally:
Spoiler
My parents have already entered their details and it's still the same...
But yes, I did think it was likely that they over exaggerated the cost. Thanks for the reassurance
I'll probably try to get accommodation in Spalding Hostel.Original post by TheJ0ker
I'm not sure if you heard but the fee's system changed recently.....
The tuition fees system changed, not the maintenance loans, which is what we're discussing here.
It's explained HERE:
The minimum for first years in 2012 is £3,575.
So OP's figure was correct. Granted it's a bit higher than my £3,300 in my final year, but nowhere near £5000.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by *pitseleh*
Most students I know at other universities have part-time jobs, or get a helping hand from family.
I came from a poor family, so I got the full maintenance loan from the government, the full bursary from Oxford, and had a job during the summer holidays.
Edit: oh, do you mean "how do other students manage" with the employment/uni work balance? If so, most universities don't ask for an essay a week or more, meaning there's generally a bit more free time to take on a job.
I came from a poor family, so I got the full maintenance loan from the government, the full bursary from Oxford, and had a job during the summer holidays.
Edit: oh, do you mean "how do other students manage" with the employment/uni work balance? If so, most universities don't ask for an essay a week or more, meaning there's generally a bit more free time to take on a job.
Yeah but how did you manage to have a job? Must have been hard.
Original post by XxelliexX
But yes, I did think it was likely that they over exaggerated the cost.
But yes, I did think it was likely that they over exaggerated the cost.
Agreed. I happily lived on £40 a week (by choice) at uni.
Original post by XxelliexX
So, I just applied for Student Finance online.
As well as my tuition fees loan, I am entitled to a £3,575 a year maintenance loan.
If I meet my offer and go to Cambridge, my living costs will be approximately £7,170 a year.
(taken from http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/finance/costs.html)
So, that means that I will have to somehow obtain the extra £3,595 elsewhere.
This makes the whole 'You don't need to pay anything upfront,' 'Everyone can afford to go to university' argument obsolete.
How can they still claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront' when quite clearly, you do??! What they really mean is 'You don't need to pay for your tuition fees upfront'... which totally disregards the whole living expenses issue.
EDIT: Ok, to make it clear... this isn't primarily about my concern about not being to fund my education. It's more about the fact that many people (teachers, politicians, people who have come to my school to talk about funding, etc) make the claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront'. I just wanted to point out how fallacious this argument is.
Neither do I expect to get something for nothing. Note that I'm not claiming that I should be 'given' the money, rather that people should be entitled to be a larger loan.
As well as my tuition fees loan, I am entitled to a £3,575 a year maintenance loan.
If I meet my offer and go to Cambridge, my living costs will be approximately £7,170 a year.
(taken from http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/finance/costs.html)
So, that means that I will have to somehow obtain the extra £3,595 elsewhere.
This makes the whole 'You don't need to pay anything upfront,' 'Everyone can afford to go to university' argument obsolete.
How can they still claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront' when quite clearly, you do??! What they really mean is 'You don't need to pay for your tuition fees upfront'... which totally disregards the whole living expenses issue.
EDIT: Ok, to make it clear... this isn't primarily about my concern about not being to fund my education. It's more about the fact that many people (teachers, politicians, people who have come to my school to talk about funding, etc) make the claim 'You don't need to pay anything upfront'. I just wanted to point out how fallacious this argument is.
Neither do I expect to get something for nothing. Note that I'm not claiming that I should be 'given' the money, rather that people should be entitled to be a larger loan.
No idea why the OP is getting so much hate for this, she's simply saying that the government/media are not clear about how easy it is, financially, to go to uni. For 17/18 year olds who are only just finding out about the financial side of going to university it is a bit of a shock when they realise that they can't afford rent/food unless their parents help out or they get a job. This is never mentioned when the likes of Mr Cameron are harping on that uni is financially accessible for all.
Lucking, or unluckily depending on how you look at it, my annual household income was below 20k so I had loans which covered everything -, tuition fees, rent and living expenses. But I had friends who had 2 working parents each earning ~20k per year giving them an annual household income of around 40k - and their parents could not afford to pay for them to move cities because they couldn't give them rent money. The only option was to go to a local uni and stay at home with their parents. Uni grants (from the uni itself, not SFE), although often generous don't come close to covering rent/living.
I can totally understand the OPs frustration. The government needs to be much more transparent about the real cost of university - it seems to hit middle income families hardest because low income families are covered by generous loans and grants based on household income assesments (as I was) and high income families who have trust funds/savings are fine. It's the people in the middle income families who are neglected.
(edited 12 years ago)
I have to say I 100% Agree with XxelliexX.
I'm tired of these lies about its "better deal" when we are paying back the rate of inflation plus 3% when previously it was just the rate of inflation. I also remember them saying £9000 would only be charged in 'exceptional circumstances' and a much more realistic figure would be £6000.... another load of bull.
What makes this even worse is we are only doing this to pay for the bankers mess and so Stephen Hester can walk away with £1 million for running a FAILING bank, which is owned by the tax payer - which also makes him one of the only public sector workers to be receiving a bonus this year when we are according to Cameron 'all in this together'
I'm tired of these lies about its "better deal" when we are paying back the rate of inflation plus 3% when previously it was just the rate of inflation. I also remember them saying £9000 would only be charged in 'exceptional circumstances' and a much more realistic figure would be £6000.... another load of bull.
What makes this even worse is we are only doing this to pay for the bankers mess and so Stephen Hester can walk away with £1 million for running a FAILING bank, which is owned by the tax payer - which also makes him one of the only public sector workers to be receiving a bonus this year when we are according to Cameron 'all in this together'
Original post by xTazx
It is unfair if you believe the government should be investing in your education, as they do extremely successfully in plenty of countries. But otherwise, you'll have to scrounge up the money from elsewhere, whether it is from working, scholarships, etc.
Don't let the money hold you back, worst case scenario wait for an offer, and ask for a deferral after your first year so you can work to pay off the next two years.
Don't let the money hold you back, worst case scenario wait for an offer, and ask for a deferral after your first year so you can work to pay off the next two years.
I think that its fair that the government should be investing in her education, if she's of the calibre to hold a Cambridge offer then why waste that talent? She's clearly going to be an asset to the economy.
Original post by Foghorn Leghorn
Yeah but how did you manage to have a job? Must have been hard.
Not really... I had a flexible job that would take me back during the summer holidays only - but if you joined an employment agency it would be pretty straightforward to get a fixed-term job every time you went home for the summer. There's also the option of paid internships.
Original post by Blazara
It's a sliding scale. People who's parents earn the very minimum tend to get minimum loan but at the same time a big grant/bursary from university. The loan scales up with your parents income until it peaks at about £40k p.a total household and then you get the max loan of 5.2k ish (numbers vary by a few hundred). This is because the govt. recognise that you're wealthy enough to get help when needed but not so rich as to expect your parents to fund everything. The amount then starts to taper back down the more your parents earn because it is then supposed that "daddy will pay for it all".
I put in my household income which is indeed 40k plus (daddy doesn't pay for everything though, sad to say).
Yet that still proves my point, not everyone will receive around the 5k mark, not by any means.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Student Maintenance Loan meaning
- Will maintainance loan still be paid?
- University Accomodation - commute?
- Clearing application
- Help! Why am I feeling this way?
- Dropping out of uni- financial implications
- Housemate doesn't confirm financial decisions with me
- Work on customer service and team leaders are not good
- UNIQ desicions??
- Boyfriend wakes in angry sometimes...
- Got pulled over by police
- Ensuite Accommodation Available in Wembley Park for £204 per week.
- repaying post-grad loan after dropping out
- Mum is annoyed because I've told her I'm not going to a party
- Default notice
- Coworker won't leave me alone after rejecting me
- Parking at salford
- This guy stole a girl I was interested in
- UCAS Application - Payments
- Quitting uni - do I need to pay back my maintenance loan?
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
Can i receive student finance while on Universal credit and PIP?Posted 1 month ago
Student Finance ineligible, dubious reasons , re-evaluation and appealsLast reply 1 month ago
2024 applicants: do you understand how student finance works?Last reply 1 month ago
withdrawn from university due to non payment of tuition feesTrending
Last reply 1 week ago
Can i receive student finance while on Universal credit and PIP?Posted 1 month ago
Student Finance ineligible, dubious reasons , re-evaluation and appealsLast reply 1 month ago
2024 applicants: do you understand how student finance works?Last reply 1 month ago
withdrawn from university due to non payment of tuition fees
