Any advice on how to afford uni?

9

Basically a very long story short is that I am trying desperately to figure out ways to afford staying in uni. My parents earn way above the max band of household income so i get minimum student loan and my rent is basically over double what i get, but my parents also refuse to give me any financial help (this is not me complaining about that choice just giving context). My uni only gives out scholarships and bursaries to students whose household income is below a certain amount so when i contacted them for help they said nothing could be done. I did have a part time job on the side but i was hospitalised last month because of heart issues which led me to having to quit . I really have no idea what else I can do other than take out a bank loan which a load of people have told me not to do. Obviously i know there is the option of dropping out and just working but I just wanna see if there is anything else I've missed.

Reply 1

normaw

20

Original post

by jwalker109685

Basically a very long story short is that I am trying desperately to figure out ways to afford staying in uni. My parents earn way above the max band of household income so i get minimum student loan and my rent is basically over double what i get, but my parents also refuse to give me any financial help (this is not me complaining about that choice just giving context). My uni only gives out scholarships and bursaries to students whose household income is below a certain amount so when i contacted them for help they said nothing could be done. I did have a part time job on the side but i was hospitalised last month because of heart issues which led me to having to quit . I really have no idea what else I can do other than take out a bank loan which a load of people have told me not to do. Obviously i know there is the option of dropping out and just working but I just wanna see if there is anything else I've missed.

There aren't many options I'm afraid. Move to a uni that you can commute to from home so that your parents pay for your accommodation and food. If you tell your parents that is your only option, they might change their minds about supporting you at your current uni. Also consider a degree apprenticeship.

Reply 2

iive

15

Original post

by jwalker109685

Basically a very long story short is that I am trying desperately to figure out ways to afford staying in uni. My parents earn way above the max band of household income so i get minimum student loan and my rent is basically over double what i get, but my parents also refuse to give me any financial help (this is not me complaining about that choice just giving context). My uni only gives out scholarships and bursaries to students whose household income is below a certain amount so when i contacted them for help they said nothing could be done. I did have a part time job on the side but i was hospitalised last month because of heart issues which led me to having to quit . I really have no idea what else I can do other than take out a bank loan which a load of people have told me not to do. Obviously i know there is the option of dropping out and just working but I just wanna see if there is anything else I've missed.

Hey, I'm sorry to hear that's happened to you, is there another part-time job you could do that won't affect your heart issues maybe something like tutoring for a few hours each week, student campus jobs or youtube even (though the last one will take a while to build a stable income)?

In terms of finding other sources of funding you could try external organisations such as Blackbullion (they have a range of scholarships on there that aren't just based on household income; https://www.blackbullion.com/) and the Black Heart Foundation (I believe they assess it on an individual basis as long as you can argue a case for financial need and since your parents arent supporting you I would say it's worth a shot, they do ask for household income though; https://blackheartfoundation.org/scholarship-programme/#SCHOLARSHIPAPPLICATION)

I know you said the uni only offers scholarships & bursaries for students from low income households but is there the possibility of them having a separate hardship fund as well? I think it's worth talking to your department or whoever is in charge of the scholarship programmes at your uni to see if theres anything they could do to help or at least if they have suggestions on what you could do. You don't want to drop out after already investing so much time applying and going there, but I agree bank loans aren't exactly the best idea. If you have a student bank account you could apply for an overdraft but that probably won't be a good idea until you have a stable income so you know you can pay it back

The only other thing I would suggest is trying to cut costs where you can to save up as much money as possible (whilst still ensuring you're taking care of yourself of course)

I hope this helps a bit!

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 3

University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador

Official Rep

15

Original post

by jwalker109685

Basically a very long story short is that I am trying desperately to figure out ways to afford staying in uni. My parents earn way above the max band of household income so i get minimum student loan and my rent is basically over double what i get, but my parents also refuse to give me any financial help (this is not me complaining about that choice just giving context). My uni only gives out scholarships and bursaries to students whose household income is below a certain amount so when i contacted them for help they said nothing could be done. I did have a part time job on the side but i was hospitalised last month because of heart issues which led me to having to quit . I really have no idea what else I can do other than take out a bank loan which a load of people have told me not to do. Obviously i know there is the option of dropping out and just working but I just wanna see if there is anything else I've missed.

Hey,
I'm really sorry you're dealing with all of that- it sounds incredibly tough. I’d definitely recommend speaking again to your university’s financial support services (should be a number or email you can contact on the university website) and explaining your full situation, especially the recent health issues and lack of parental support despite the household income. They might be able to guide you toward other support that’s not tied directly to income thresholds.

It might also be worth revisiting your budget, just to see if there’s anywhere to cut costs or make things stretch further -I know that’s easier said than done, especially when rent alone is already so high. If you're studying somewhere within travel distance from home or family, and it's possible, commuting could help take away the accommodation pressure.

You're doing your best and that's all you can really do, good luck & I really hope it works out for you! (:

Emily
Year 2, Chemistry
Official University Of Strathclyde Rep

Any advice on how to afford uni?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you

How The Student Room is moderated