How expensive is your university?
Hey, I was wondering how expensive university is?
Despite the £9000 for the annual payment, how much of that £9000 goes into accommodation, food, stationary, bills...etc? I have a variety of universities I would like to go to, but I don't know how expensive the areas are. If you attend or know the area of these unis, could you please tell me your opinion on their price? It would be much appreciated!!!!!!!! Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Kent, Sheffield, Queen Mary, Sussex, Exeter. Feel free to tell me how much your university is. It will probably help me more than hinder. Thank you!!!!
Despite the £9000 for the annual payment, how much of that £9000 goes into accommodation, food, stationary, bills...etc? I have a variety of universities I would like to go to, but I don't know how expensive the areas are. If you attend or know the area of these unis, could you please tell me your opinion on their price? It would be much appreciated!!!!!!!! Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Kent, Sheffield, Queen Mary, Sussex, Exeter. Feel free to tell me how much your university is. It will probably help me more than hinder. Thank you!!!!Scroll to see replies
£9000 is fees. That goes straight to the university and you never see it.
In terms of living costs, everywhere is different, some places are obviously more expensive to live in than others
In terms of living costs, everywhere is different, some places are obviously more expensive to live in than others
£9000 is just for the fees, and living costs have to be paid for on top of that.
Outside London, £7500 should allow you to live comfortably - which includes rent, bills, food, socialising, books, stationery and everything else you might need as a student.
Now, that sounds expensive, but there is a lot of help available from the government and universities themselves. I'd suggest that you use the student finance calculator to work out how much you'll get from the government. On top of that, you may be eligible for a bursary from your university. These are guaranteed if your household income is low enough, but the exact amount varies from uni to uni, hence why you need to look on the website of each individual uni.
Student finance (both that from the government and from the universities themselves is means tested. This means that if your household income (parent you live with + their live-in partner, or both your parents if your parents are together) is higher, they are expected to contribute towards your upkeep. If it's lower, then you'll get all the money you need to go to uni, without your parents needing to contribute.
When you see the word 'loan', it is a bit alarming at first. However, the way it works means that it's not like a normal loan - you only pay back what you can afford, and you'll never have bailiffs on your doorstep. What happens is that when you earn over £21,000, anything over that you pay back 9%. So for instance, if you earned £22,000 per year, then you'd repay £90 per year. If you earn less than £21,000 per year then you don't pay back a penny, and after 30 years anything you haven't paid is written off. It won't affect your credit score either. In short, they're the nicest loans you'll ever have by a long way!
Grants and bursaries are all free money i.e. you don't have to pay it back
Outside London, £7500 should allow you to live comfortably - which includes rent, bills, food, socialising, books, stationery and everything else you might need as a student.
Now, that sounds expensive, but there is a lot of help available from the government and universities themselves. I'd suggest that you use the student finance calculator to work out how much you'll get from the government. On top of that, you may be eligible for a bursary from your university. These are guaranteed if your household income is low enough, but the exact amount varies from uni to uni, hence why you need to look on the website of each individual uni.
Student finance (both that from the government and from the universities themselves is means tested. This means that if your household income (parent you live with + their live-in partner, or both your parents if your parents are together) is higher, they are expected to contribute towards your upkeep. If it's lower, then you'll get all the money you need to go to uni, without your parents needing to contribute.
When you see the word 'loan', it is a bit alarming at first. However, the way it works means that it's not like a normal loan - you only pay back what you can afford, and you'll never have bailiffs on your doorstep. What happens is that when you earn over £21,000, anything over that you pay back 9%. So for instance, if you earned £22,000 per year, then you'd repay £90 per year. If you earn less than £21,000 per year then you don't pay back a penny, and after 30 years anything you haven't paid is written off. It won't affect your credit score either. In short, they're the nicest loans you'll ever have by a long way!
Grants and bursaries are all free money i.e. you don't have to pay it back
The £9000 fees, as others have said, don't go to you, they go to the university.
As for living costs, I get by on the minimum loan + £200/month from my dad. Out of that comes my rent and food and I still have enough left over to pay for the upkeep of my car and £85 a month on train tickets to see the boyfriend. That said, I shop in Aldi and don't go clubbing, so my weekly expenditure is less than someone who shops in convenience stores (we only have a small Tesco and its prices are extortionate in comparison to Aldi) and go out a lot. One of my friends easily spends double what I do on food as she just nips into Tesco on her way back from lectures. To be fair, Aldi is on the outskirts of town and the only reason I go there is because I have the car, but little things like that add up.
As for living costs, I get by on the minimum loan + £200/month from my dad. Out of that comes my rent and food and I still have enough left over to pay for the upkeep of my car and £85 a month on train tickets to see the boyfriend. That said, I shop in Aldi and don't go clubbing, so my weekly expenditure is less than someone who shops in convenience stores (we only have a small Tesco and its prices are extortionate in comparison to Aldi) and go out a lot. One of my friends easily spends double what I do on food as she just nips into Tesco on her way back from lectures. To be fair, Aldi is on the outskirts of town and the only reason I go there is because I have the car, but little things like that add up.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Origami Bullets
£9000 is just for the fees, and living costs have to be paid for on top of that.
Outside London, £7500 should allow you to live comfortably - which includes rent, bills, food, socialising, books, stationery and everything else you might need as a student.
Now, that sounds expensive, but there is a lot of help available from the government and universities themselves. I'd suggest that you use the student finance calculator to work out how much you'll get from the government. On top of that, you may be eligible for a bursary from your university. These are guaranteed if your household income is low enough, but the exact amount varies from uni to uni, hence why you need to look on the website of each individual uni.
Student finance (both that from the government and from the universities themselves is means tested. This means that if your household income (parent you live with + their live-in partner, or both your parents if your parents are together) is higher, they are expected to contribute towards your upkeep. If it's lower, then you'll get all the money you need to go to uni, without your parents needing to contribute.
When you see the word 'loan', it is a bit alarming at first. However, the way it works means that it's not like a normal loan - you only pay back what you can afford, and you'll never have bailiffs on your doorstep. What happens is that when you earn over £21,000, anything over that you pay back 9%. So for instance, if you earned £22,000 per year, then you'd repay £90 per year. If you earn less than £21,000 per year then you don't pay back a penny, and after 30 years anything you haven't paid is written off. It won't affect your credit score either. In short, they're the nicest loans you'll ever have by a long way!
Grants and bursaries are all free money i.e. you don't have to pay it back
Outside London, £7500 should allow you to live comfortably - which includes rent, bills, food, socialising, books, stationery and everything else you might need as a student.
Now, that sounds expensive, but there is a lot of help available from the government and universities themselves. I'd suggest that you use the student finance calculator to work out how much you'll get from the government. On top of that, you may be eligible for a bursary from your university. These are guaranteed if your household income is low enough, but the exact amount varies from uni to uni, hence why you need to look on the website of each individual uni.
Student finance (both that from the government and from the universities themselves is means tested. This means that if your household income (parent you live with + their live-in partner, or both your parents if your parents are together) is higher, they are expected to contribute towards your upkeep. If it's lower, then you'll get all the money you need to go to uni, without your parents needing to contribute.
When you see the word 'loan', it is a bit alarming at first. However, the way it works means that it's not like a normal loan - you only pay back what you can afford, and you'll never have bailiffs on your doorstep. What happens is that when you earn over £21,000, anything over that you pay back 9%. So for instance, if you earned £22,000 per year, then you'd repay £90 per year. If you earn less than £21,000 per year then you don't pay back a penny, and after 30 years anything you haven't paid is written off. It won't affect your credit score either. In short, they're the nicest loans you'll ever have by a long way!
Grants and bursaries are all free money i.e. you don't have to pay it back
That's great thanks for your reply, it was really detailed. It helped a lot!!
Original post by TattyBoJangles
The £9000 fees, as others have said, don't go to you, they go to the university.
As for living costs, I get by on the minimum loan + £200/month from my dad. Out of that comes my rent and food and I still have enough left over to pay for the upkeep of my car and £85 a month on train tickets to see the boyfriend. That said, I shop in Aldi and don't go clubbing, so my weekly expenditure is less than someone who shops in convenience stores (we only have a small Tesco and its prices are extortionate in comparison to Aldi) and go out a lot. One of my friends easily spends double what I do on food as she just nips into Tesco on her way back from lectures. To be fair, Aldi is on the outskirts of town and the only reason I go there is because I have the car, but little things like that add up.
As for living costs, I get by on the minimum loan + £200/month from my dad. Out of that comes my rent and food and I still have enough left over to pay for the upkeep of my car and £85 a month on train tickets to see the boyfriend. That said, I shop in Aldi and don't go clubbing, so my weekly expenditure is less than someone who shops in convenience stores (we only have a small Tesco and its prices are extortionate in comparison to Aldi) and go out a lot. One of my friends easily spends double what I do on food as she just nips into Tesco on her way back from lectures. To be fair, Aldi is on the outskirts of town and the only reason I go there is because I have the car, but little things like that add up.
Do you feel like you have to have a car? Is your accommodation off campus?
Original post by Musiclover1234
Do you feel like you have to have a car? Is your accommodation off campus?
I don't *need* it, but I like my own freedom and it helps when my boyfriend comes up (I can pick him up from the airport) / I go to see him (we don't have a train station). If I couldn't afford it, I wouldn't have taken it. But I had it for two years before coming here and can afford the upkeep.
St Andrews isn't really a campus uni, but my accommodation is pretty much as far away as you can get from the medical school. I do end up driving in a fair bit.
Original post by TattyBoJangles
I don't *need* it, but I like my own freedom and it helps when my boyfriend comes up (I can pick him up from the airport) / I go to see him (we don't have a train station). If I couldn't afford it, I wouldn't have taken it. But I had it for two years before coming here and can afford the upkeep.
St Andrews isn't really a campus uni, but my accommodation is pretty much as far away as you can get from the medical school. I do end up driving in a fair bit.
St Andrews isn't really a campus uni, but my accommodation is pretty much as far away as you can get from the medical school. I do end up driving in a fair bit.
Ahh, fair enough
Thank you for responses, it's helped a lot!!Original post by Kurama
If I apply to any Scottish university, £0 I guess...
*Awkward silence*
We EU students are...elitists and opportunists, I cannot find better words.
*Awkward silence*
We EU students are...elitists and opportunists, I cannot find better words.
That's awesome!!
Original post by Musiclover1234
That's awesome!!
EU equality law states that the tuition reductions (or exemption in Scotland's case) in one member state must be applied to citizens from all other member states. Hence I can simply use one of my mainland European nationalities to become exempt from tuition fees (meanwhile students in other constituencies of the UK, as well as international students, must pay the full cost).
My kindest regards to the tax payers who are funding my education...cannot tell you how much of a hypocrite I would feel if I took advantage of this loophole.
Original post by Musiclover1234
Ahh, fair enough Thank you for responses, it's helped a lot!!
Thank you for responses, it's helped a lot!!No problem (:
Just something to note - the only reason I can afford to live as I do is because I got into the cheapest accommodation (£2700-ish/year). The 'next cheapest' is about £5500, which I could have afforded, but I'd not have been able to bring the car or afford my trips to see my boyfriend. Plus my dad pays for the car insurance and parking here is free in allocated car parks with a student permit.
Might be worth looking into how much the accommodation costs! My weekly budget is ~£80-90 a week but I only spend £40 on food / going out so can afford other luxuries!
Original post by Kurama
EU equality law states that the tuition reductions (or exemption in Scotland's case) in one member state must be applied to citizens from all other member states. Hence I can simply use one of my mainland European nationalities to become exempt from tuition fees (meanwhile students in other constituencies of the UK, as well as international students, must pay the full cost).
My kindest regards to the tax payers who are funding my education...cannot tell you how much of a hypocrite I would feel if I took advantage of this loophole.
My kindest regards to the tax payers who are funding my education...cannot tell you how much of a hypocrite I would feel if I took advantage of this loophole.
I didn't know that.. well the reason why I guess. Thanks that's really interesting!! I think you should definitely use this as an advantage if you know what I mean..?
Original post by TattyBoJangles
No problem (:
Just something to note - the only reason I can afford to live as I do is because I got into the cheapest accommodation (£2700-ish/year). The 'next cheapest' is about £5500, which I could have afforded, but I'd not have been able to bring the car or afford my trips to see my boyfriend. Plus my dad pays for the car insurance and parking here is free in allocated car parks with a student permit.
Might be worth looking into how much the accommodation costs! My weekly budget is ~£80-90 a week but I only spend £40 on food / going out so can afford other luxuries!
Just something to note - the only reason I can afford to live as I do is because I got into the cheapest accommodation (£2700-ish/year). The 'next cheapest' is about £5500, which I could have afforded, but I'd not have been able to bring the car or afford my trips to see my boyfriend. Plus my dad pays for the car insurance and parking here is free in allocated car parks with a student permit.
Might be worth looking into how much the accommodation costs! My weekly budget is ~£80-90 a week but I only spend £40 on food / going out so can afford other luxuries!
Thank you!! The information have been really useful!!
Original post by Kurama
EU equality law states that the tuition reductions (or exemption in Scotland's case) in one member state must be applied to citizens from all other member states. Hence I can simply use one of my mainland European nationalities to become exempt from tuition fees (meanwhile students in other constituencies of the UK, as well as international students, must pay the full cost).
My kindest regards to the tax payers who are funding my education...cannot tell you how much of a hypocrite I would feel if I took advantage of this loophole.
My kindest regards to the tax payers who are funding my education...cannot tell you how much of a hypocrite I would feel if I took advantage of this loophole.
You should probably be aware that it is residency, not nationality, that establishes your eligibility for Scottish / EU / Rest of UK fees. You need to have been resident in the EU / Scotland for at least three years prior to the start of your degree, and the reason for your residency must not be wholly or mainly for your education (i.e. boarding school doesn't count).
So, if you are resident in Beijing, as your location line suggests, you will have to pay international fees.
See section 3: http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/International-Students/Fees--finance/Home-or-Overseas-fees/Scotland-Higher-Education/Who-is-eligible/
Original post by Origami Bullets
You should probably be aware that it is residency, not nationality, that establishes your eligibility for Scottish / EU / Rest of UK fees. You need to have been resident in the EU / Scotland for at least three years prior to the start of your degree, and the reason for your residency must not be wholly or mainly for your education (i.e. boarding school doesn't count).
So, if you are resident in Beijing, as your location line suggests, you will have to pay international fees.
See section 3: http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/International-Students/Fees--finance/Home-or-Overseas-fees/Scotland-Higher-Education/Who-is-eligible/
So, if you are resident in Beijing, as your location line suggests, you will have to pay international fees.
See section 3: http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/International-Students/Fees--finance/Home-or-Overseas-fees/Scotland-Higher-Education/Who-is-eligible/
Oh don't worry!!
haha, I am aware of that. But thank you!! 
Original post by WeeGuy
no tuition fee for me
How come? oO
Original post by Musiclover1234
Hey, I was wondering how expensive university is? Despite the £9000 for the annual payment, how much of that £9000 goes into accommodation, food, stationary, bills...etc? I have a variety of universities I would like to go to, but I don't know how expensive the areas are. If you attend or know the area of these unis, could you please tell me your opinion on their price? It would be much appreciated!!!!!!!! Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Kent, Sheffield, Queen Mary, Sussex, Exeter. Feel free to tell me how much your university is. It will probably help me more than hinder. Thank you!!!!
Despite the £9000 for the annual payment, how much of that £9000 goes into accommodation, food, stationary, bills...etc? I have a variety of universities I would like to go to, but I don't know how expensive the areas are. If you attend or know the area of these unis, could you please tell me your opinion on their price? It would be much appreciated!!!!!!!! Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Kent, Sheffield, Queen Mary, Sussex, Exeter. Feel free to tell me how much your university is. It will probably help me more than hinder. Thank you!!!!In general it's cheaper to live up north than in the south and most expensive to live in London. So I'd guess that Birmingham and Sheffield would be cheaper than Bath, Bristol, Kent Sussex and Exeter and that Queen Mary would be the most expensive.
Note this is based on general living costs in the area, as has been previously said for individual grants and accommodation prices check out the uni websites
.Original post by Elliwhi
How come? oO
I live in scotland so the scottish government pays them (if i study in scotland which i do)
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