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Anyone else here hate the fact that being a student means you cant buy things u want?

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Original post by MonkeyMonger
People are saying that is what the loan is for, what loan is this?

There is the tuition one and maintenance one, which doesn't even cover the cost of accommodation.

What other loans are they talking about?


the grant which you dont have to pay back and depending on your uni a bursary which you dont have to pay back also
I am buying something that I want: higher education :grin:.
Original post by Guru Jason
the grant which you dont have to pay back and depending on your uni a bursary which you dont have to pay back also


Original post by Guru Jason
the loan might not but the bursary and grant would. mines allowing me to have a 3 week trip across europe this summer.


Not everyone gets a grant or bursary.
Original post by Guru Jason
the grant which you dont have to pay back and depending on your uni a bursary which you dont have to pay back also

Grant?

I don't qualify for a grant...

Seems kinda stupid that the thing designed to even out opportunities at uni is just making higher income people worse off comparatively.
Reply 44
Avatar for py0alb
py0alb
3
Not really. It's nice to have a break from rampant materialism for once in your shallow life. Do you really need those new clothes and a ****ty macbook pro? No, you don't.
Original post by MonkeyMonger
Grant?

I don't qualify for a grant...

Seems kinda stupid that the thing designed to even out opportunities at uni is just making higher income people worse off comparatively.


im not saying that everyone does. im just saying that they exist. you aked what else they was, im just saying. depending on what uni you go to they sometimes just give you a bursary. i go to hull and need 90% or somthing ridiculously high attendance to get mine but ive only got sothing like 75% but they give me a grand anyway.
Original post by WelshBluebird
Not everyone gets a grant or bursary.


Again, i'll say that not everyone does, merely stating their existance lol.
Oh diddums, only £70-90 a week? I'm on £200 a month, which includes food, phone, textbooks etc, as well as anything "luxury" (I know my phone could be considered a luxury, but it's £15 a month so I don't really consider it that) like clothes, meals out, nights out etc. If I go for a night out, that's two days food budget, so I have to live frugally for the rest of the week.

Of course it'd be amazing to have unlimited disposable income, but really I don't care. I've got enough clothes, buying something new is a special treat instead of something I do every weekend. My laptop works for what I need it for, the same with my phone, I don't crave upgrades for either.

I have a friend who is at the very limit of her overdraft because as soon as she gets her loan through, she goes shopping and spends loads of it. Then despite being overdrawn, she still buys new clothes every weekend. I'd hate to be in that situation! Spending more money than I have scares me. And the vital thing is, I can separate what I need with what I want, and I don't get whingey if I can't have everything I want.

Edit: And yeah, I don't get a grant or bursary. The people who do get a grant/bursary have more spending money than I do; their situations end up being similar to those with a high family income. It's people like me, whose parents earn just above the cut-off point, who lose out. Luckily for me, my parents can afford to give me some money at the moment, but I'm not sure if they will next year. When assessing for grants, the government doesn't take into account multiple children, or where you live. My parents have 3 kids and live in Surrey, one of the more expensive regions of the country. We're hardly rich, and I hate taking money from them, but the government won't even lend me enough money to live off, and I can't get a job during term time.
(edited 13 years ago)


My loan won't even cover the house + bills next year because it's been slashed and my rent (and probably bills) have gone up. That's life, especially student life.

That's why I'm joining the Merchant Navy after uni. Tax-free salary for working on any foreign going (spends more than half the year out of UK waters) ship.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 49
Avatar for userdloat
userdloat
Original post by littlehobbit
I assume you're not at uni yet, otherwise - that's what the loan is for!

(but as a 16-18 yea sucks a bit)


I ish i could afford to buy clothes with my loan :/ It pays my rent with about £100 left over for 10 weeks, if i didn't have a job i would starve.
Reply 50
Avatar for Kaykiie
Kaykiie
15
Original post by arabcnesbit

Original post by arabcnesbit
Brilliant. Lets all go to university so we can aspire to become consumerist slaves!

The things you own, own you.


Calm down bro :lolwut:

I like books, doesn't mean I'm a slave to consumerism because I want to buy them :colonhash:
Reply 51
Avatar for Nayberay
Nayberay
15
Hmm i'm on a gap year but i'm doing some extra exams etc, I work 20 hours a week in retail and earn a good wage per month and can still buy my clothing and my kicks (I don't buy clothing every month but stuff towards uni aswell etc) random purchases..I do however fail at saving. Which is why when I go full time come summer, I will be saving.

I intend to keep my job at uni, so i'm sure it will change and that my money will be going towards essentially 'living' as accomodation costs a bomb in Bham...providing I meet the grades. :h:
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 52
Avatar for Kaykiie
Kaykiie
15
SoapyDish
Edit: And yeah, I don't get a grant or bursary. The people who do get a grant/bursary have more spending money than I do; their situations end up being similar to those with a high family income. It's people like me, whose parents earn just above the cut-off point, who lose out. Luckily for me, my parents can afford to give me some money at the moment, but I'm not sure if they will next year. When assessing for grants, the government doesn't take into account multiple children, or where you live. My parents have 3 kids and live in Surrey, one of the more expensive regions of the country. We're hardly rich, and I hate taking money from them, but the government won't even lend me enough money to live off, and I can't get a job during term time.


I get the full everything and I hardly think I live similar to those with high family incomes :hmmm:

I have to live off the loans, grants and bursaries for the entire year. 365 days of it. Being estranged from my parents means that I have too.

EDIT: I realise that you didn't mean everybody lives like that :p:
(edited 13 years ago)
My loan next year is a grand short of my accommodation costs, so if I don't manage to transfer jobs, I'm ****ed. The grand I'm short I'm saving now, and I've had to cut out a work experience trip to accommodate that. If you get any money a week left over, you're lucky.

Edit: I've thought about it, and actually I'd rather be in the situation I'm in now, than having loan to cover all of my expenses. At least this way I'm aware of what I'm spending, and my loan is actually pretty low. I'd rather pay the grand up front when it actually doesn't matter, than have it with my student debt.
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by Kaykiie
I get the full everything and I hardly think I live similar to those with high family incomes :hmmm:

I have to live off the loans, grants and bursaries for the entire year. 365 days of it. Being estranged from my parents means that I have too.

EDIT: I realise that you didn't mean everybody lives like that :p:


Well obviously not living completely the same as them, but the basic message of that paragraph was supposed to be that the grants and bursaries you get probably add up to more than what I get from my parents...Which I think is quite unfair of the government! I really don't want to depend on my parents for money. I don't even particularly want a grant (although obviously free money would be great!) but a maintenance loan that was actually enough to maintain me would be pretty cool?! My loan doesn't even cover my accommodation!
Reply 55
Avatar for Kaykiie
Kaykiie
15
Original post by SoapyDish

Original post by SoapyDish
Well obviously not living completely the same as them, but the basic message of that paragraph was supposed to be that the grants and bursaries you get probably add up to more than what I get from my parents...Which I think is quite unfair of the government! I really don't want to depend on my parents for money. I don't even particularly want a grant (although obviously free money would be great!) but a maintenance loan that was actually enough to maintain me would be pretty cool?! My loan doesn't even cover my accommodation!


Well I'll have to disagree with you there, (although I'm in a minority of people) I may receive more than you when you factor in parental help but I also have bills/rent/food to pay for when in breaks from university. I imagine the majority of students go home and 'live off' (for the lack of a better phrase) their parents in holidays. Unfair? No I think it's very fair that I get more because of my circumstances. (I'm not trying to play I'm more worse off than you by the way, sorry if it seemed like that :p:)

I do agree that the loan for most people is nowhere near enough to live on and that not everybody is happy taking money from parents :smile:
Original post by Kaykiie
Well I'll have to disagree with you there, (although I'm in a minority of people) I may receive more than you when you factor in parental help but I also have bills/rent/food to pay for when in breaks from university. I imagine the majority of students go home and 'live off' (for the lack of a better phrase) their parents in holidays. Unfair? No I think it's very fair that I get more because of my circumstances. (I'm not trying to play I'm more worse off than you by the way, sorry if it seemed like that :p:)

I do agree that the loan for most people is nowhere near enough to live on and that not everybody is happy taking money from parents :smile:


Ah yeah, I didn't consider the holidays! If I had to try and stretch my loan plus allowance from parents through the whole year... :| Do you get any more financial help than a student from a very low income family, despite them having their parents' house to go back to during the holidays?
Reply 57
Avatar for Kaykiie
Kaykiie
15
Original post by SoapyDish

Original post by SoapyDish
Ah yeah, I didn't consider the holidays! If I had to try and stretch my loan plus allowance from parents through the whole year... :| Do you get any more financial help than a student from a very low income family, despite them having their parents' house to go back to during the holidays?


One of my housemates gets the same loans as I do and she goes back during holidays so no, I get the same. Maximum loans have been cut by £400 for next year :nothing: I live off £20 a week for the year now, next year will be horrendous!

I seem to have derailed the thread slightly :p: If I really want something I make the sacrifice for it but it's my birthday soon so I'll just get stuff I want then (I may be estranged but I have a boyfriend of 4 years to buy me nice presents for my 21st :wink:)

I guess with my having to live off loans in breaks and you getting pennies from the government, we'll both be better with money after graduating :p: (we can hope!).
Original post by Kaykiie
I guess with my having to live off loans in breaks and you getting pennies from the government, we'll both be better with money after graduating :p: (we can hope!).


I think living off a budget definitely makes you more sensible when you do have money later on!
Original post by Linweth
It isn't exclusive to students, many people cannot buy things they want thus it has '**** all to do with being a student'


But this is something common to a large majority of students more than the average employed population of the UK. Ok there are other people that can't afford things but we're not about to debate the economic mess this country has become for all and sundry-we're limiting it to students on theSTUDENTroom.co.uk.

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