Costs

Ok, so according to the oxford website if i plan to live in oxford only in term times i should budget about £6,000, or if i plan to spend short vacations there, just over £7,000.

Out of this I can get a loan for £3,385.

Oxford probably won't allow me to get a job, and so where do i get the rest of the money from??

Please help

Reply 1

F1 fanatic

16

chrisg

Ok, so according to the oxford website if i plan to live in oxford only in term times i should budget about £6,000, or if i plan to spend short vacations there, just over £7,000.

Out of this I can get a loan for £3,385.

Oxford probably won't allow me to get a job, and so where do i get the rest of the money from??

Please help

I'll tell you now I don't spend anywhere near £6000 a year, I think that's a bit of an overestimate as to what you need. As long as you are sensible, then you can live on purely the student loan, at least in college accommodation. It gets a bit more pricey if you live out but it's still not that much I don't think. I actually had a surplus from my loan in the first year! Don't worry too much about it, you just need to be sensible with what you spend (and it won't be to the extent of being a complete scrooge).

If you really are struggling then you may be able to apply for various bursaries and grants from the university such as the hardship grant.

Reply 2

chrisg

OP

how much are the college accommodation fees each term? How much do meals usually cost?

Also, i am a football referee, which i do as a hobby at weekends, and obviously the match fees from that would help. are there any local football leagues in or around oxford?

Reply 3

F1 fanatic

16

chrisg

how much are the college accommodation fees each term? How much do meals usually cost?

Also, i am a football referee, which i do as a hobby at weekends, and obviously the match fees from that would help. are there any local football leagues in or around oxford?

It varies a lot between different colleges, but for me as a ball park figure I pay in the region of £800 a term for accommodation (includes water, electricity, internet etc) and about £3.50 for a meal in the evenings and £2 at lunch.

As for leagues, I think they do exist, obviously there are college leagues, but normally they don't pay a referee. I'm sure you could find somewhere if you really wanted to.

Reply 4

Aphrodite007

chrisg

how much are the college accommodation fees each term? How much do meals usually cost?

Also, i am a football referee, which i do as a hobby at weekends, and obviously the match fees from that would help. are there any local football leagues in or around oxford?

I'm also a football referee, applying for 2008! What level are you mate? I imagine there will be a local supply league you can AR on, or some Sunday league stuff as well.

Reply 5

chrisg

OP

level 7. i currently AR on a supply league in liverpool, there should be one somewhere in oxfordshire.

Reply 6

Aphrodite007

There most definitely is, I can't remember the name though. Hopefully I'll be getting appointments with you a few years down the line!

Reply 7

thomasjtl

9

I assume then, stu, that you get more than the minimum student loan.
Basically, you'll need to get a more or less full time job over the summers, possibly part time easter/christmas as well. While oxford will have plenty of wealthy people, there are lots that aren't so wealthy as well, and you just have to try and live within your means as much as possible.

If you're not on full loan etc. the government expects that your parents make some contribution, so maybe you could talk about what they could help you out with. At a minimum, since you won't be living at home, maybe they'd be able to give you some money towards your food and utility charges.

If it really becomes a problem, don't forget that colleges have hardship funds etc. to help you out. Oxford really isn't any more expensive than other universities, especially london, and wrt financial support, offers a much better safety net than most other unis.

Reply 8

F1 fanatic

16

thomasjtl

I assume then, stu, that you get more than the minimum student loan.
Basically, you'll need to get a more or less full time job over the summers, possibly part time easter/christmas as well. While oxford will have plenty of wealthy people, there are lots that aren't so wealthy as well, and you just have to try and live within your means as much as possible.

If you're not on full loan etc. the government expects that your parents make some contribution, so maybe you could talk about what they could help you out with. At a minimum, since you won't be living at home, maybe they'd be able to give you some money towards your food and utility charges.

If it really becomes a problem, don't forget that colleges have hardship funds etc. to help you out. Oxford really isn't any more expensive than other universities, especially london, and wrt financial support, offers a much better safety net than most other unis.

it's true, I did get a little more than the basic rate, but not as much as I had left over. To an extent I was much more frugal in those days, I paid much more attention to where my money went than I do now. Definitely, you can pay college accommodation and food with your loan, I think, so then it's just a case of finding money for socialising and going out. It doesn't cost the earth unless you are a very heavy drinker/smoker, so you can make up enough for that in the vacations if you need to. I still think though, that £6000 is way over what you would actually spend. I have not spent anywhere near that, and I don't expect to next year when I'm living out either.

Reply 9

Cirsium

19

Yep definitely - I have somehow managed to survive this term on £600... mainly because I had money going in and out and thought that was how much I had left... and then turned out to be far more in the black than i thought :smile:

But yeh it's one of those things where living in = cheaper accomodation purely because you don't pay holiday rent but probably much more expensive food. Stu's looking at a 5er for food for a day whereas I could happily eat for a pound a night and make sandwiches...
It's perfectly possible to survive on 5k but much less than that and i'd think you might be pushing it. Although actually i have to pay tuition fees and you won't so maybe it is...

Reply 10

F1 fanatic

16

Bekaboo

Yep definitely - I have somehow managed to survive this term on £600... mainly because I had money going in and out and thought that was how much I had left... and then turned out to be far more in the black than i thought :smile:

But yeh it's one of those things where living in = cheaper accomodation purely because you don't pay holiday rent but probably much more expensive food. Stu's looking at a 5er for food for a day whereas I could happily eat for a pound a night and make sandwiches...
It's perfectly possible to survive on 5k but much less than that and i'd think you might be pushing it. Although actually i have to pay tuition fees and you won't so maybe it is...

Well, the secret in first year was I didn't eat in hall that often, since as you say that racks the cost up no end. It's much cheaper if you cater for yourself. I wasn't including the tuition fees in my estimates, I assumed the £6K was just for living costs. Do I not remember Will saying that Univ make up the difference up to an amount that they consider you need for a year, of the order of £5K?

Reply 11

Cirsium

19

Yeh see that's problem #1 with Jesus, in your first year (whilst living in) you have no choice - there are no kitchens, and even toasters aren't allowed... although sandwich makers and george forman grills appear to be....

And yes Univ will top you up to £5k

Reply 12

F1 fanatic

16

Bekaboo

Yeh see that's problem #1 with Jesus, in your first year (whilst living in) you have no choice - there are no kitchens, and even toasters aren't allowed... although sandwich makers and george forman grills appear to be....

And yes Univ will top you up to £5k

it's much the same at Keble, you're allowed a fridge and a kettle and nothing more, but it was enough for sandwiches so I didn't have to eat in hall all the time.

Reply 13

thomasjtl

9

do ya reckon they'd notice if i got a microwave with a grill in it?

Reply 14

sjuthani

6

F1 fanatic

Well, the secret in first year was I didn't eat in hall that often, since as you say that racks the cost up no end. It's much cheaper if you cater for yourself.

Except at places like Teddy Hall, where the meals are automatically on your battels, and although you get something like 2/3 of some set amount back if you haven't used them, if you miss breakfast or dinner, then you're losing money. Its probably the biggest black-hole in my finances

I wasn't including the tuition fees in my estimates, I assumed the £6K was just for living costs.

I thought that as well, and that it included battels stuff as well? Which seems excessive to me- I've been pretty careful through the year and have needed a lot less (although I've had parental support which is very nice when you're faced with the highest battels bills in the university!)

Reply 15

tinypony

Food at Merton is supposed to be ridiculously cheap, so why would you want to waste time on doing your own cooking? Plus you socialize in hall, and thereby you could avoid going to the pub every now and then, thereby saving even further.

Reply 16

hobnob

14

chrisjorg

Food at Merton is supposed to be ridiculously cheap, so why would you want to waste time on doing your own cooking?

Not all college dining halls are cheap, though, and even when they are, the fact that college food is cheap doesn't guarantee it's edible. In fact, some dining halls are supposed to be pretty nasty...

Reply 17

Cirsium

19

Teddy Hall being one: it's not called ming for nothing
Although I went after my exam on Wednesday and naturally now there are conference guests it's really rather nice...

Reply 18

F1 fanatic

16

chrisjorg

Food at Merton is supposed to be ridiculously cheap, so why would you want to waste time on doing your own cooking? Plus you socialize in hall, and thereby you could avoid going to the pub every now and then, thereby saving even further.

How much is ridiculously cheap? out of interest. I would say that the £3.50 ballpark evening meal seems fairly standard across the colleges I've eaten at.

Reply 19

hobnob

14

F1 fanatic

How much is ridiculously cheap? out of interest. I would say that the £3.50 ballpark evening meal seems fairly standard across the colleges I've eaten at.

Hilda's is actually quite nice in that respect. The dining hall is pretty decent and you can have dinner for considerably less than £3.50 (unless you happen to be very hungry indeed).

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