Hey everyone,
I hope you're all doing well. I'm about to start my first year of university, and I wanted to talk about some challenges I'm facing with finances and health.
1)Financial Struggles:
Starting uni is exciting, but I'm a bit worried about my finances. When I added up everything, it seems like I'll only have £300 to cover my expenses from September to January. That's not much at all.
(I will get around £2k from SFE at the end of september then a day after that, I'd have to pay £2k for my uni accom)
2) Parental Contribution:
My student finance was based on my parents' income, but they make less than £25k a year. Even though I wish they could help more, they can't give me extra money.
3) Considering 0F:
I never really thought about using platforms like OnlyFans, but it's starting to feel like a last resort. I do have a small social media following that often requests me to create content there and asks me when I'll make one. However, this decision feels difficult because it wasn't part of my original plan. A part of me doesn't want to do it but another part of me is like I need to do it.
4) Health Challenges:
On top of all this, I have many chronic illnesses that causes a lot of pain. Getting a regular job is tough for me because of this. This is why I took a gap year and managed to save around £1k from working with brands as a small influencer on social media (no adult content or 0F)
5) Additional Support:
I did apply for DSA to get the support I need for my chronic condition, and I'm grateful to have that assistance in place.
I also applied for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to help with my medical conditions, but unfortunately, I got denied, so will appeal. This makes things even more challenging.
6) Accommodation Costs:
My accommodation costs are £600 per month, and I didn't choose for the cheapest option.I do have to pay for the first semester though which is £2k towards the end of September, as previously stated.
7) I didn't get the maximum loan of £9k either because my parents told me not to tell Student finance about it, because SFE may change their minds and give me less loan then what they've already calculated. The SFE loan does cover my uni accomodation rent so that's positive I guess.
I really don't want to ask my parents for more money. They've already told me they can't give me any starting from September. (I rarely ask for my parents money in general I only asked for university shopping money which they did give me)
I remember that some users, like @Wired_1800 , @Muttley79, @StriderHort, @Surnia, @Scotney, @Cote1, and @threeportdrift, were previously tagged in a previous thread that got removed, not sure why. If any of you could provide some guidance, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this.