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Finance if living with boyfriend

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could help me with my query!

I'm 20 years old and am applying to uni to do Primary Education. I'm planning to live with my boyfriend while at uni, and commute. Due to my parents strict views, they have told me that if I decide to live with my boyfriend (I'm planning on moving in during the next few weeks) they will not support me at all.

I know I am obviously entitled to the Tuition Loan and Maintenance Loan but if I live with my boyfriend, will I be entitled to the Maintenance Grant? I wouldn't be entitled if it went on my parents household income as it is too high, but my boyfriend earns £27k pa, which would entitle me to near enough the full grant.

Obviously with no help from my parents I'll need all the financial backing I can get, and I'm already looking into part-time jobs (I currently work full-time) and saving like a maniac!!

I would be v grateful if someone could answer my queries, I'm not very clued up on Student FInance at all, and on their finance calculator it only allowed you to enter the household income of your parents, not your partner.

Thanks! Annette x

Reply 1

Jmzie-Coupe

If you are under 25, you will be assessed by your parents household income, unless you can prove you have supported yourself for the past 5 years with a salary of above 7,000 if I recall. Other members may wish to correct me here if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can get a grant just because your boyfriend earns that amount, especially considering he's not even your husband.

Reply 2

GodspeedGehenna

As above. Living with your bf won't change your eligibility.

Reply 3

kpwxx

As said above, sadly. I live with my boyfriend... he has lived with me and my parents at home since before we began university (now in second year) and near the end of his first year, he ended all contact with them. We still aren't hopeful about SF accepting this next year, and he probably won't get any means tested stuff even though he is estranged from his parents since they make it really hard to prove it.

Yet the cheek is, if you're doing stuff like help with health costs, it DOES count as you living together!

My best advice is to sit down with your parents and explain thoroughly. I don't know them so don't know whether this will help at all, but hopefully you can appeal to them, by letting them know (but not shouting at them) that the government won't help you because it expects them to support you; maybe go along the lines of that you agree that the government should allow you help in your situation, but they don't, so you don't have other options.

From what I've read about PGCE's (I want to do one) there won't be time for a job around them, so you'd have to save up loads before you start.

Hope it works out for you xxx

Reply 4

netiswaycool

Thanks all, yes I was expecting those answers! I'm doing undergrad teacher training, so hopefully will be able to fit a job around that to get a few more pennies! Saving like mad at the mo so hopefully I can start uni with a couple of grand to see me through first year at least, along with my maintenance loan. My boyfriend is being an angel and saying I won't have to pay rent, only buy groceries + toiletries which will help a lot, but as I'm planning to commute to winchester from reading a lot of money will sadly go on train fare! I will talk to my parents, its so difficult in these situations! Thanks all for your answers :-) I'm sure everything will be ok!

Reply 5

netiswaycool

just as a cheeky aside...would my entitlement change if he was my husband and not just my boyfriend?
:-P

Reply 6

hypocriticaljap

yes it would.
Worth it?

Reply 7

Taiko

But only if you marry before the 1st September. You could then divorce before the 1st September and be classed as independent, as the regulations just state you have to have been married.

Reply 8

hypocriticaljap

and just in case you think that is do-able no judge will accept irretrievable breakdown after such a short period. You'd probably need to wait 2 years.

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