student finance question?

So I've just applied for student finance and because I live with both parents and don't have any disabilities the most I'll be granted is about £4.9k, which if it wasn't for the fact that I'm currently working in retail and may be able to keep a job upon moving to Newcastle for Uni I wouldn't be able to survive off that at all! I'd be lucky to get low end accommodation in NCL and still have about 500-600 leftover to last me the entire academic year! That just seems ridiculous to me. So my question is whether anyone has had a similarly low grant to mine and has been able to survive uni without a job because it doesn't seem fair at all, especially considering my parents don't earn near enough to financially support me at uni. And, perhaps, is there any way I can get a little bit more from my loan?

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Your families income is probably high which is why it's lower and the fact that you're living with your parents.

Reply 2

HoldThisL

21

for this size maintenance loan your parents must be earning £50-60k a year? the expectation is they provide you with some money to live off and, if they don't its up to you to finance it youself with savings and a job as there's no way to bypass the loan system

Reply 3

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by HoldThisL

for this size maintenance loan your parents must be earning £50-60k a year? the expectation is they provide you with some money to live off and, if they don't its up to you to finance it youself with savings and a job as there's no way to bypass the loan system

The 4.9k grant is the "higher loan" option which I've applied for and is granted provided my parents are earning the lowest pay bracket I assume, I was given this number before me or my parents had submitted anything about how much they earn. But thank you for the quick response its just a pity as those who are given a similar loan to me are screwed if they cant find a job, it seems pointless working your ass off in A Levels to get into uni just to get little-no help from parents or the government.

Reply 4

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by Anonymous

Your families income is probably high which is why it's lower and the fact that you're living with your parents.

Yeah I understand the other factors but my parents are yet to submit how much they earn so 4.9k is the grant ill get if my parents are earning the lowest pay bracket

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

Original post by ajp0102

Yeah I understand the other factors but my parents are yet to submit how much they earn so 4.9k is the grant ill get if my parents are earning the lowest pay bracket

oh mad. so it could potentially be even lower

Reply 6

HoldThisL

21

Original post by ajp0102

Yeah I understand the other factors but my parents are yet to submit how much they earn so 4.9k is the grant ill get if my parents are earning the lowest pay bracket

uhh, what? did you not know that in order to get more money, all your parents have to do is prove their income is below the maximium pay bracket which is like 60k?

Reply 7

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by HoldThisL

uhh, what? did you not know that in order to get more money, all your parents have to do is prove their income is below the maximium pay bracket which is like 60k?

I didn't know that, I thought they had to be earning a particularly low way (like 20-30k) guess that's pretty good to know, thanks!

Reply 8

Anonymous #2

Original post by ajp0102

Yeah I understand the other factors but my parents are yet to submit how much they earn so 4.9k is the grant ill get if my parents are earning the lowest pay bracket

I’m confused, is this for the maintenance loan? Are you a UK student? My mum is on the lowest pay bracket and I get like £9k...

Reply 9

HoldThisL

21

Original post by ajp0102

I didn't know that, I thought they had to be earning a particularly low way (like 20-30k) guess that's pretty good to know, thanks!

bruh lol

4.9k is close to the minimum, look up the brackets and corresponding maintenance loan amounts if you want to get a better idea just make sure your parents submit their income info otherwise you'll get the minimum

Reply 10

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by Anonymous

oh mad. so it could potentially be even lower

yeah, the minimum is 4.1k which cant even pay for some of the lower end accommodation in NCL for the academic year, again its lucky ill have a job and I already have a couple grand saved. But it seems that if hypothetically I didn't have a job I wouldn't be able to go uni and get my degree because I couldn't afford it yk

Reply 11

Anonymous #2

Original post by ajp0102

yeah, the minimum is 4.1k which cant even pay for some of the lower end accommodation in NCL for the academic year, again its lucky ill have a job and I already have a couple grand saved. But it seems that if hypothetically I didn't have a job I wouldn't be able to go uni and get my degree because I couldn't afford it yk

Did you put down as living with parents on your application but your planning on getting student accommodation?? If you did then that will be another factor in why yours is low. You need to put where you’ll be living whilst at uni, not where you are now.

Reply 12

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by Anonymous

I’m confused, is this for the maintenance loan? Are you a UK student? My mum is on the lowest pay bracket and I get like £9k...

Yeah this is for the maintenance loan, I've completed all the fields except for the information about how much my parents are earning and the most I can get according to the government website is 4.9k if my parents are in the lowest pay bracket, but the minimum is 4.1k oddly? And yeah I did put that ill be living at Uni residence, I'm gonna see if ive made any **** ups in my application at all

Reply 13

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by HoldThisL

bruh lol

4.9k is close to the minimum, look up the brackets and corresponding maintenance loan amounts if you want to get a better idea just make sure your parents submit their income info otherwise you'll get the minimum

yeah it doesn't seem like I'm gonna get above 4.9k regardless of my parent's income because of the other factors of me not being disabled and living with both parents etc. I'll just count myself lucky that I'm earning my own money and am able to save so I can actually survive uni without feeling like I'm on a constant financial tightrope

Reply 14

Anonymous #1

Original post by ajp0102

yeah, the minimum is 4.1k which cant even pay for some of the lower end accommodation in NCL for the academic year, again its lucky ill have a job and I already have a couple grand saved. But it seems that if hypothetically I didn't have a job I wouldn't be able to go uni and get my degree because I couldn't afford it yk

yeah I get u. It's a bit of a tough situation

Reply 15

lak19

15

Maintenaince loans are a joke, at least if you do get £4.9k, thats a decent bit extra than the minumum - £4.2k a lot of us get stuck with.
Honestly the best thing you can do is go for cheap accomm - which you said you'll already try to get, other than that it's a case of using any savings you might have and trying to get a part time/weekend job in term time and then working as much as you can in the holidays.

Reply 16

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by lak19

Maintenaince loans are a joke, at least if you do get £4.9k, thats a decent bit extra than the minumum - £4.2k a lot of us get stuck with.
Honestly the best thing you can do is go for cheap accomm - which you said you'll already try to get, other than that it's a case of using any savings you might have and trying to get a part time/weekend job in term time and then working as much as you can in the holidays.

Completely agree mate, I'll try shoot for a cheap place to live, as long as its reasonably close to campus I cant complain. I'm working at Tesco's atm so am still able to work during COVID and hopefully I'm able to transfer if not ill just have to spend wisely and save what I can lol, at least I won't be burning my pocket at freshers with the pandemic going on I guess

Reply 17

ajp0102

OP

2

Original post by Anonymous

yeah I get u. It's a bit of a tough situation

I'll just suck it up and save what I can I reckon lol, thank you for the help!

Reply 18

Anonymous #3

Original post by ajp0102

Completely agree mate, I'll try shoot for a cheap place to live, as long as its reasonably close to campus I cant complain. I'm working at Tesco's atm so am still able to work during COVID and hopefully I'm able to transfer if not ill just have to spend wisely and save what I can lol, at least I won't be burning my pocket at freshers with the pandemic going on I guess

Obviously not ideal you're still having to work during covid but at least you have a chance to earn while a lot of others can't.
And thats another thing, often a lot of pressure to spend lots at uni, with different events, lots of drinks etc etc but knock on effect of covid and distance might relieve those pressures - hopefully making it easier to reduce spending.
One of my flat mates works for sainsburys and they were v flexible about working in different stores while at home and at uni in term time and in holidays so worth looking into that, rather than quitting and looking for a diff job at uni