Moving out for University

This might be the wrong place to ask this, but it has to do with uni living so. I plan to move out of parent's home when I turn 18 and go to uni. I want to know is this possible. How should I prepare? I'm asking this here because I want to know if the student loan I will receive will suffice. Obviously I would get a job to pay for food expenses but from what I understand I would use the loan to pay for accomodation and it would be a 'quick-fix' type of move out situation. I'm also not really sure if this would make me eligible for financial aid, which I know some unis offer. This seems to simple and I keep thinking there is a catch. Any help?

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 1

Starrytillymae

7

hi there! first of all, moving out affects everybody differently so don’t worry at all. there’s not necessarily anything you can do to “prepare” but if money is a concern, you can always start saving now with summer and weekend jobs etc.

uni housing can be expensive yes and most people’s loans barely cover it. loans are dependent on how much your parents earn - the more they earn, the less you receive. which is a very unfair system. lots of people i know have jobs to support themselves at uni. housing in second year is definitely cheaper than halls in my experience.

when you say “quick fix”, this does make me wonder - do you want to move out or do you want to go to uni? of course uni means more often than not moving out, but be sure you want to move out BECAUSE of uni rather than just moving out because you want to move out before you make any decisions.

i’m not entirely sure what you mean by financial aid. lots of unis offer hardship funds in case you encounter financial difficulty throughout the year. some also offer grants and bursaries for people from low income backgrounds.

and sometimes things being too simple can simply mean they are simple. it’s second year when you’re looking for a house when things get tough and more confusing. there isn’t a catch - just that you’re putting yourself in debt.

also some accommodation isn’t year round. most contracts are 40 weeks, meaning you’ll be home for summer and most students come home for holidays.

anyway wishing you luck! just make sure moving out to uni rather than moving out on its own is something you want 🙂

Original post by naircosmeli

This might be the wrong place to ask this, but it has to do with uni living so. I plan to move out of parent's home when I turn 18 and go to uni. I want to know is this possible. How should I prepare? I'm asking this here because I want to know if the student loan I will receive will suffice. Obviously I would get a job to pay for food expenses but from what I understand I would use the loan to pay for accomodation and it would be a 'quick-fix' type of move out situation. I'm also not really sure if this would make me eligible for financial aid, which I know some unis offer. This seems to simple and I keep thinking there is a catch. Any help?

Hi there,

This is a good place to ask and receive some advice about this!

In terms of the student loan, you can look online and see what you would receive based on your household income. https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator Have a look here and you should be able to see how much you would receive and then have a look at student accommodation prices in the area you want to live and from this you can see if it would cover your rent.

I also agree with what has been said - have a look at the scholarships and bursaries that your university offers as these can be quite good and might help you out if you are eligible for any of them. It should be quite clear on the website if you would be eligible and what the terms of this are.

Have a look if you could get a job at your uni. Often if universities have campus jobs, these are quite good as they tend to be fairly flexible and you get to work with other students. Or, some kind of job in hospitality can be a good place to work as it is often evening or weekend work which would fit in with your schedule.

Other things you can do to prepare for uni include:

•

Practice cooking some meals

•

Go to open days / visit the campus

•

Research the course - e.g. what type of assessments are there, what are the modules.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador 🙂

Original post by naircosmeli

This might be the wrong place to ask this, but it has to do with uni living so. I plan to move out of parent's home when I turn 18 and go to uni. I want to know is this possible. How should I prepare? I'm asking this here because I want to know if the student loan I will receive will suffice. Obviously I would get a job to pay for food expenses but from what I understand I would use the loan to pay for accomodation and it would be a 'quick-fix' type of move out situation. I'm also not really sure if this would make me eligible for financial aid, which I know some unis offer. This seems to simple and I keep thinking there is a catch. Any help?

Hi @naircosmeli,

Moving to university can be a big step however, I don't regret it at all. It gives you independence and so much more. I would recommend using the finance calculator as mentioned above and seeing how much you would get.

Most students do have part time jobs which is something you could also start exploring. Seeing what jobs are in the city where you'd like to go to uni or if the university has student ambassador roles. University ambassadors are a great way to earn extra money in a way that works around your uni timetables, as they are a lot more flexible.

Something you could also start to do is going to open days and researching what course you would want to study. Open days are great as you can get a feel for the university and also ask any questions you may have.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Zac^

Original post by naircosmeli

This might be the wrong place to ask this, but it has to do with uni living so. I plan to move out of parent's home when I turn 18 and go to uni. I want to know is this possible. How should I prepare? I'm asking this here because I want to know if the student loan I will receive will suffice. Obviously I would get a job to pay for food expenses but from what I understand I would use the loan to pay for accomodation and it would be a 'quick-fix' type of move out situation. I'm also not really sure if this would make me eligible for financial aid, which I know some unis offer. This seems to simple and I keep thinking there is a catch. Any help?

Hi

Large numbers of students each year move out of their homes and move into university-managed accommodation. I think this is a great option as it can allow students to develop their independence skills.

I would look at the universities that you want to go to and then look at their accommodation options and costs etc to see if your loan would cover the rent and if/how much you would need to top it up with.

I would also look to see what other bursaries/scholarships universities offer their students to see if you could benefit from them.

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 5

De Montfort University

Official Rep

16

Original post by naircosmeli

This might be the wrong place to ask this, but it has to do with uni living so. I plan to move out of parent's home when I turn 18 and go to uni. I want to know is this possible. How should I prepare? I'm asking this here because I want to know if the student loan I will receive will suffice. Obviously I would get a job to pay for food expenses but from what I understand I would use the loan to pay for accomodation and it would be a 'quick-fix' type of move out situation. I'm also not really sure if this would make me eligible for financial aid, which I know some unis offer. This seems to simple and I keep thinking there is a catch. Any help?

Hi there,

Totally get it! Here’s the lowdown on how Student Finance England (SFE) can help you move out and handle uni expenses.

So, SFE gives you two main things: a tuition loan (goes straight to the uni) and a maintenance loan for living expenses. The amount you get for living costs depends on where you live and your household income—moving out often means you can get a bit more since you're not living at home.

The maintenance loan should cover rent and basic bills, but it probably won’t stretch to everything, so a part-time job can help cover food and extras. Plus, many unis offer extra bursaries or scholarships for students on low income, so it’s worth checking what’s available. And remember, the loan isn’t instant free money; it’s all repayable, but it should help you get set up independently while studying.

Overall, it’s doable if you’re careful with spending and maybe pick up some extra financial help from the uni or a job!

Take care,
Ilya

Moving out for University

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