I don't think I can afford uni

You won't suddenly become financially stable on your 18th birthday...
It doesn't matter if they aren't legally responsible for you when you turn 18. You don't stop becoming their child. They should still help you out and SF expects them to.

You won't be depending on them for the rest of your life. It's until you are working a stable full time job which is ideally when you finish uni.

You've just confirmed it I'm afraid.

70k per month on a 1060L tax code is £3,596 per month. That's also including if your parents had student loans. Let's say a term of nursery is what - 12 weeks? So around £1k per month? That's still £2596 left per month.

With no mortgage let's think bills. I don't know how big your house is but we live in a 5 bedroom semi-detached and our bills come to around £800 a month. Let's say your parents' bills are £1000. That leaves £1596 per month.

Even if after bills and nursery your parents spent £600 on stuff like travel, food, clothes for your siblings, there is still £1k left. Or alternatively, say they spent £1k on travel, food and clothes. £600 left.

So where is the rest of that money going if your parents have no mortgage or car costs? They are not being honest with you. They could help you out at least a couple of hundred a month if they wanted to.

Can't you live at home?

why should they, many families of students can't. i know SF expects them to, the whole system is corrupt so there's no point sticking up for SF, the tories have f*cked everyone over with the taking away of grants and reduction of loans, etc. stop having a go at me, it's not my fault my parents don't earn enough to support me, and that our government is utter sh*t. you're talking like everyone's parents earn enough to give them money - this is not the case. it may be for you, and that makes you privileged over me. in an ideal world, they'd help me out, but they can't. good for you if your parents can/could, but many aren't so lucky.

Your parents earn 70k...

i can, but the uni i'm going to pretty much requires you to stay in halls in your first year. if i can sort myself out for a year, then it'll be fine, hopefully.

in nursery fees thats 20K a year already gone. and then there's general living costs, bills, travel, and food and clothing for 4 children. 70K gets sucked up quickly.

so what you're saying is they should give me the £600 left? basically, they have a house, which they own, but it is far too big and it's old, so it sucks up money (they plan to down-size next year). with the spare room, they are going to rent them out, and from that they've said they can give me £500 per term. i only found out this last night, so they are willing to help me a bit.

Because they are your parents & they know you would seriously struggle and possibly miss a few meals without their help, isn't that reason enough?
I'm not having a 'go' at you, I'm just saying that your parents should be helping. Have they said they can't give you anything at all?

My mum earns less than half of what your parents earn. I am in no way privileged over you.

I understand that many can't, but with 70k in earnings, I'm struggling to understand why your parents can't give you anything.

No certainly not. I wouldn't accept £600 a month from my Mum even if she could afford/wanted to give me it. But they COULD help you out if they wanted to, whereas you are saying that they can't afford to when I've just shown you they can, and obviously they can if they are going to give you £500 a term which is very nice of them.

If I recall correctly my rent for a semester in Southampton was about £975 for a double bedroom with water included. Bills on top came to about £50 each per month. So if you were living private rented your parents' money would be giving you about half your rent, then you'd need to top it up by about £500/600 per term. I used to work in shops known for good pay like John Lewis or Aldi, and doing overtime meant I could earn £300/400 per month. Southampton has a big John Lewis in town as well as a Waitrose, I think there's also an Aldi now too. JL/Waitrose also give you a bonus. So in addition to the money you will get from SF it's 100% doable for you, you just have to be smart about it and live like a student, basically. You can get textbooks online or in the library, don't bother buying them; eating own brands of Asda/Sainsbury's food usually taste exactly the same as 'brands'; pasta, rice and potatoes are your best friend - you'll be fine. Also Psychology tends not to have many contact hours so you will have a lot of freedom with your working hours and your studying hours.

The main thing that costs students a lot at uni is alcohol, one of my friends got herself 3k in debt from going out 5 times a week. That's the kind of extra cost you don't need if you're stretched financially. Actually paying for food and a roof over your head - i.e., the basics - does not cost that much at uni. Except halls which are ludicrously expensive.

General living costs, bills, travel and food doesn't cost 50k a year. Travel isn't essential either

Why does your uni require you to stay in halls?

You'll probably need an overdraft

i agree, it is very nice and helpful that they're giving me the £500 a term. thankyou for the advice, i will keep all of it in mind. hopefully, i will be able to just about afford it. just out of interest, did you receive any loaned money from SF, or any grants? haha well i'll have to stick out paying for halls for 1 year because the uni prefers it, but after i will definitely move back home or into rented accomodation - much less expensive as you say! hopefully i won't blow my loan on alcohol like your friend, i'm not a huge drinker if i'm honest!

I think I had some grant or something but I didn't find it very clear which was loan and which was grant to be honest, I got the highest amount you could and it still wasn't very much. My parents couldn't give me anything but they did give me lifts to and from uni at the start and end of the term which I was very grateful for. The most annoying thing is when there are students who have parents paying for all their rent and tuition fees moaning that they have no money, or alternatively they taunt you when you can't afford to go out a lot. But that's just life there's always someone better or worse off. I didn't like going out much either to be honest it's so overpriced but you do kinda have to go out a few times to make friends, you don't have to drink though. I just had a few and would only go on student night when it was cheap.

oh i see, what was the highest amount you could get at that point, i assume it's changed now? i know i can get something like £3,800 a year, was it more than that? i'm just trying to work out, based on what you said your experience was like and what your budget was like, whether i'd need to work 2 jobs, or how many hours i'd have to work. yeah, i know plenty of people whose parents will pay for them to go to uni, and no doubt they will do this. people don't realise how lucky they are, and they don't appreciate anything enough. yeah i think i'll do the same.

Hi, so this is the situation. I have applied for Psychology BSc at Bristol, Sussex, UCL, Southampton and Goldsmiths. I have an offer from Goldsmiths and am waiting for the others; as I am predicted three A's, I am hoping I will get a few more.

Basically, the main problem is not whether I get offers, but how I will fund going to university. I am aware I can get a student loan to cover tuition fees, I have no problem with this, I understand that many people will need to do this, and I only have to start paying it off when I can afford to. But the maintenance cost is my main concern.

I am not eligible for any grant or loans as my parents earn over the maximum amount to get a loan from the government. They earn roughly 70K a year, which as far as I am aware means I do not qualify to a maintenance loan. However, though they earn a fair amount of money, they cannot afford to pay any of my maintenance fees; they cannot help me financially in any way, mainly due to the fact I have two younger siblings. I have a job but am paid badly, I currently have only £500 in my bank account.

In other words, as far as I can see, it looks like I can't afford uni. I can't live at home, and I don't get any financial support because the loans are means-tested and my household's income is too high. I think this system is incredibly unfair; it does not take into account the fact that though people's parents earn a good amount of money, it does not mean they can afford to fund their children going to university.

So anyway, my question is: is there any hope for me? Is there any way I can get financial support, are there any loans I am unaware of? I am determined to go to uni, if I possibly can! I have no learning difficulties so I cannot get support for that, and it is unlikely I'd get a scholarship, and I do not qualify for bursaries, and just for reference, I am a UK student. My only chance would be getting an 'Excellence Scholarship' if I get three A's and put Sussex as my first choice, as this offers £2,000 and free first year accommodation. Failing this, and planning for the next two year, what can I do? Any help is very much appreciated - thanks in advance!

look, they care about me, and would certainly give me more money if they could. if i was literally living on the streets during uni, they'd obviously lend me money or take me in, they aren't heartless. you sound like you are more privileged - you're saying your parents paid for you to go to uni - that is a HUGE privileged, and one many students would gladly accept. i don't think your mum would be very happy to hear that even though she paid for your uni, you feel you aren't privileged.

how do you know, do you have 4 kids? also, yes travel is essential - my dad commutes to london everyday, and my mum to eastbourne. we don't have a car.

My mum has 4 kids and I know she didn't spend 50k on us because she isn't even earning 50k. We don't have a car either and she also commutes to work, it takes her an hour and a half. Stop looking for excuses and tell your parents you are in need of their help.

So you're saying that they'd only give you money if you were homeless on the streets? Sounds abit stingy to me. That just shows that they can give you money but they are waiting until you desperately need it.

I didn't say my parents paid for me to go to uni. I said my mum helps me out if I need it, so I'm not more privileged than you