How much student loan are you getting?

3 years? Try 4 years, petal. (Scotland)

I don't see why you're getting worked up? just because my household income exceeds 34k doesn't mean that I'm well off, as said before, my mum and dad have bills to pay. There are so many students who are over the threshold and are unable to pay for accommodation/food as a result.

4 years? try 18 years living in a family on 13k, petal.

I see their predicament like I said, but do you honestly think you;re just as worse off as my family on 13k? You're delusional.

Oh please, £55k is not comfortable? I swear people on TSR need a reality check.

There are four people in my family on a household income of £15,000 (and no, we don't live in a council house and we're not in receipt of any benefits). That means no holidays, no cars, lots of second hand furniture/school uniforms, freeview TV, no pets, no pocket money when we growing up, no mobile phones or computers which we didn't pay for ourselves, no visiting family that lived beyond a bus ride away. And the thing is, there are millions of people who are far worse off than we were. And you think you deserve the same financial support as me?


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4 years? try 18 years living in a family on 13k, petal.

I see their predicament like I said, but do you honestly think you;re just as worse off as my family on 13k? You're delusional.

I think that students should be assessed equally, regardless of their mum and dads income, they should be assessed as independent students, we aren't children. Also, I do acknowledge that while there are many families who cannot afford to go on holiday, pay for sky, cars and various other luxuries, there are also families who cannot afford to send their child to university even if they exceed the threshold.

My mum/dad - their money, not mine. Why should I be treated differently because of my household Income? Am I four years old and dependant on mum/dad taking me to school? No.

I think you've misinterpreted. Firstly I don't disagree that on both ends of the extreme should be entitled to different amounts of money. Yes low income families on the extreme scale should have more than high income on the extreme scale. But the thing is 50K still isn't easy to live off pay their own mortgage, food and bills then on top of that have to struggle to pay my brothers remaining accommodation costs, try and help with food but he still ended up losing a ton of weight and next year they have to try and find a way to fund me as well. I've actually had them have conversation with me saying that they don't think they can afford to get me through university, but I'm determined to make it work. I've had to lend my parents money of up to £1000 through out last year because they literally had no money at the end of each month. We live in an expensive area because that's where my dads job is and there wasn't much choice because his sector has been cut down so much there aren't many jobs elsewhere. He works very hard from 7 am to 6pm and then when he's home he goes onto his work laptop to work until 8 or 9 pm sometimes. I don't have it easy, I haven't been on holiday for years because we just can't afford it.. A lot of my friends are low income and tbh I've never had life much different to them apart from I have slightly bigger house. Buy the same amount of clothes, go on the same amount of school trips etc.

So while I don't disagree students from low income families need more finance (and I'm not saying I should get the same as someone who has a family income of 15K or less) It's ridiculous to me that a lot of people are getting over £100 a week after accommodation (when for food you only need about 20-30 pound) and are raving about going of clothing hauls each month and planning on putting it in the bank to go towards a house deposit or how they're going to use it to go out and get drunk every other night. It's the fact they have MORE than they need. Student finance is to cover basic living costs, not buy clothes, or alcohol, or go towards a house deposit. Yet I have, and many others, have LESS than we need even with parents helping out as much as they can. That's my problem.

You seem to be suggesting that my family's situastion is an extreme. It is not, that is normal for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of working families. My mum managed to pay the bills, buy food, pay off a mortgage and supply all the necessary things for life on a very small income without benefits - if your parents cant do the same, and pay for your uni costs on an income of 50k then they are living beyond their means.

I agree that a finance system that factors in money for entertainment is not ideal. However I fully intend to save as much money as I can when I go to uni. I would rather use the money for a deposit than spend it on alcohol or post-graduation holidays. You might say that is unfair, but I also think it unfair that I couldn't take up my place at a grammar school because we couldn't afford the bus fare - I got over it and you will have to too. Life isn't fair.

I'm not saying extreme in number wise but amount wise. Less than 15K per yer is a lower end extreme. But something like 100K a year is a higher end extreme and everything you're saying would be relevant to a household income of that. But you and they will get on fine through uni and not have to have financial worries, yet people in the middle like me will. Like I said my parent's have even had a conversation with me saying they can't afford it. Again I have NO control over how my parents spend their money. We have lavish things either. We don't even go to the movies, have meals out or anything. Literally their lives consist of work and sleep.

Not going to grammar school is hardly the same as being able to afford a house deposit especially in a market where it's not uncommon for people 30 or older to still not be a homeowner. Why should you or anyone else get that given to you for free just based on what your parents had? I could have gone to grammar school, but I had to move for my dads job. Like you I got over it. Life is hard.

I'm not saying you've had it easy or you don't deserve the level of financial help you get, but that doesn't I've been living a life of Riley. My dad had to work so hard and as a child he worked 6 days a week, went to work before I woke up and came home after I was asleep. It wasn't nice. I would have rather had less money but saw him more. He could have not done all that - just stayed being a taxi driver until changing career and my family wouldn't be having a crisis over how to afford mine and my brothers education. But the fact that my family income is "high" despite not having much leftover each month doesn't that I deserve to worry and stress over whether I'll have enough to eat each week. By all means people are welcome to have 5x what I get. I just would like enough to eat! I'm know it won't change a thing it's just acknowledging the system is very flawed.

I just think people need to realise it's not black and white. Where people with "high" income families need to get over it + and where people assume if they can't afford to contribute thousands to each child each year ontop of everything else then they must be living beyond their means.

I'm sorry that you're going to find it so hard to pay for uni, I know the system isn't great but there are things you could do to manage the costs. You could go to a university near your home which would save on accommodation costs. You could get a job. You could buy second hands books. You could study with the Open University (which is much cheaper). Are you not prepared to do any of these things?

I'm not comparing my situation with yours, I'm merely making the point that living in a low income household comes with many disappointments and hardships. If my one bit of good fortune is that I might be able to save some money whilst at uni then I will do it. We aren't given free money, most of it is loans which will be paid back. The grant isn't even that big, it won't even cover my accom costs.

I don't want to get into *whose childhood was worse* match with you, but I likewise hardly ever saw my mum when I was younger because she was always at work. At least you had another parent who was around. You don't need to tell me the system is crap, I know it is, but making it fairer shouldn't mean treating everyone the same because we're not the same.

Enjoying reading this, keep it coming.

Maintenance Loan: £5020
Maintenance Grant: £1071
Bursaries: n/a
Scholarships: n/a
Savings: n/a
Money from Parents: n/a

Accommodation Cost: ~£3432 (£71.50 x 48 weeks)
Weekly spend after Accommodation: ~£65

Problem is I'm in my overdraft still from last year (had less loan, halls were more expensive) which I'm trying to pay off with a part time job which may not be done by the time I start... I'm sure I will manage my finances better this year though

Oh please, £55k is not comfortable? I swear people on TSR need a reality check.

There are four people in my family on a household income of £15,000 (and no, we don't live in a council house and we're not in receipt of any benefits). That means no holidays, no cars, lots of second hand furniture/school uniforms, freeview TV, no pets, no pocket money when we growing up, no mobile phones or computers which we didn't pay for ourselves, no visiting family that lived beyond a bus ride away. And the thing is, there are millions of people who are far worse off than we were. And you think you deserve the same financial support as me?



Says someone who has never experienced life in a low-income household. Your dad's pension contributions might be a lot but at least he can afford to make them - my mum has no pension because she literally could not spare a penny towards it. Count your blessings.