Who pays for Uni?

Well who does? Is it obligatory that your parents pay for most of it or is it optional? The reason I'm asking is because I want to study a course that I my parents wouldn't support because they want me to study a science course. I know they wouldn't help finance it if they didn't agree with it so i'm wondering if they would be forced to by the government since they're financially able or would i hve to pay for uni myself. Has anyone else done it without their parents support and is it possible to pay for uni yourself?
xx

Reply 1

Mr. Ed

10

Don't you pay for it with a student loan?

I don't think your parents are obliged to pay anything.

Reply 2

stosie

Unless you live in scotland your parents are not obliged to ay anything, however the amount of loan you get is based on their income. This means that if they earn more than around £30,000 you will lose quite a bit of money by them not supporting you. You can be dissasociated from your parents but you have to actually be not on speaking terms with them.

Reply 3

cpj1987

15

Your parents don't have to support you at all. You get a loan for the tuition fees, and a maintenence loan for accommodation and living costs. You can also get an income-assessed grant (which is given depending how much your parents earn), and whilst this essentially gives you slightly more money, what it does mostly is to cut into, and replace some of, your maintenence LOAN so that you'll get about the same amount either way, but with the grant, be in less debt after graduation.

University without parental financial support is completely possible. I'm going through uni this way; and managing to support myself fine (living costs, and full-year accommodation costs); so don't worry too much about the finances. Even when you have to pay money back in the future, it's a tiny amount each week, so it won't affect you greatly.

Reply 4

stosie

It does make about £2500 a year difference from the minimum loan to the max loan plus grant which works out to about £200 a month. My parents worked it out exactly and make up what I get from the student loans company to what someone who's parents earn less than £17,500 would get.

Reply 5

Lizj

10

The government expects your parents to support you if they are financially able. If they can not, because of low income, then with loans and grants you can survive on funding. My parents haven't had to pay a penny, because they are on a low income and I get max loan, grant and bursary.
If parents could pay but won't, then you have to find a way to finance your own way through, either by working and saving first or by working while you study. This income will top up the student loans that you will get for tuition fees and maintenance.

Reply 6

bluenoxid

13

This is the hole with the system, it relies on your parents but does not oblige them to pay anything. Its ridiculous really as its leading to students being forced to study subjects they are not neccessarily interested in

Reply 7

cpj1987

15

Noxid

This is the hole with the system, it relies on your parents but does not oblige them to pay anything. Its ridiculous really as its leading to students being forced to study subjects they are not neccessarily interested in

Technically, it's not. Nobody's forcing these students to do things they don't want to do; as it's possible to support yourself.
If anything, it's a parent at fault, not the system, if someone feels pressured in that way.

Reply 8

tunnel

when do we have to pay unis back after we graduate?

Reply 9

cpj1987

15

Once you're earning over £15,000 a year.

Reply 10

tunnel

are there any loan companies avaialble in order to help people studying outside uk( i mean uk citizens wanting to study abroad?

Reply 11

INTit

17

The system is TERRIBLE, my parents earn well over the barrier for me to get a grant but dont have enough expendable income to help pay the fees.

So my only support comes as a huge loan, whilst my friend whos parents are well under the barrier gets a grant so large he can pay his entire HND course fee with money left over and doesn't need to pay it back, hes also living at home.

Basically i get totally screwed.

How the hell is this sytem fair ?

Reply 12

Dude

14

cpj1987

Once you're earning over £15,000 a year.

And if we still haven't paided it back after a certain period, the debt is written clean.

Reply 13

INTit

17

Yea but it somthing rediculouse like 50 years, if you couldnt get a job with a high enough income to pay it back by then your degree was worthless to you.

Reply 14

cpj1987

15

INTit

Yea but it somthing rediculouse like 50 years, if you couldnt get a job with a high enough income to pay it back by then your degree was worthless to you.

It's 25 years.

Reply 15

INTit

17

hmm so id be 45, my statment still applies :mad:

Reply 16

cpj1987

15

INTit

hmm so id be 45, my statment still applies :mad:

Yeah I guess for some degrees, that would be pretty useless.
:s-smilie:

Reply 17

tunnel

what happens if you earn less than 12,000 all your life?

Reply 18

Toxic Tears

OP

12

Noxid

This is the hole with the system, it relies on your parents but does not oblige them to pay anything. Its ridiculous really as its leading to students being forced to study subjects they are not neccessarily interested in

Totally agree. I think because most people take it for granted that they parents will support them no matter what, they find it hard to understand that some parents are simply not like that and will only support what they approve of and still want to control their "child"'s life despite the fact the "child" is a young adult. The government should recognise this and make it OBLIGATORY that parents who are able to, have to pay the fees. After all - why did you become a parent for if you don't even support your child. If you're not going to make it obligatory, at least give more generous grants for students whose parents are ****holes so that they can have the same free choice other students are entitled to.

Reply 19

Toxic Tears

OP

12

stosie

Unless you live in scotland your parents are not obliged to ay anything, however the amount of loan you get is based on their income. This means that if they earn more than around £30,000 you will lose quite a bit of money by them not supporting you. You can be dissasociated from your parents but you have to actually be not on speaking terms with them.

So what happens if I'm not on speaking terms with them? Do I get more financial help? It sucks having parents like mine.

Who pays for Uni?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you