How much do you get for a student loan these days? My final year was when they came in and it was something like £600 for the year? 
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University Students, finance, parents contribution - experiences please !
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Posted 4 months ago #
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Student loan around £4k per annum, which will cover accomodation if in halls.
BigJohn - yeah, my thinking is simliar amount to rent (as fees paid)
cheers
Posted 4 months ago # -
Sounds like a lot. But maybe the cost of living has gone up a lot and I have rose tinted specs on...
My parents, funded me pretty much unquestioningly through uni 1995-1999. I was lucky. In the first year I think I got a bit of a grant from my LEA ( it was the era of the end of grants and the start of loans. Student fees were unknown though...)
My rent would be paid, and I had a further £400 (rising to £500 in my later years) per term (i.e late Sept to Christmas, Jan to Easter, Easter to June). This was to cover food, books, anything and everything really.
I didn't feel or have the need to work, and managed to fund climbing trips and climbing gear from that. I ran a car, but apart from the initial purpose my Dad funded its running costs, and I guess I must have been given Petrol money to blackmail me to go home!I got a loan in my last year to fund a 6 week climbing trip to an unclimbed area in Greenland.... Seemed a reasonable reason to wrack up some debt. But my Parents didn't. That's when I decided we were different and I decided it was time to really stand on my own feet and make decisions for me.
I would work for most, well ok at least 1/2 of the summers.
Hmmm £400 seemed like a lot at the time and I felt very lucky....but it doesn'tseem like a lot now...... gee I'm getting old!!!
Posted 4 months ago # -
Hmmm £400 seemed like a lot at the time and I felt very lucky....but it doesn'tseem like a lot now...... gee I'm getting old!!!
tell me about it - I graduated in 1987 !
Posted 4 months ago # -
I had a small grant, and a student loan. We had no tuition fees when I was at university.
The grant pretty much paid my rent for the year. This led to the student loan paying for everything else that was needed (clothes, books, stationary, bus fare). My parents would visit reasonably often (every 6 weeks) and would do a stack of food shopping for me when they did, I made this last as long as possible. My parents couldn't afford to give me an awful lot more than this.
I managed ok in the first year like this without a job, but needed a job (working 20hrs per week) in the 2nd & 3rd years to have any kind of social life. The job actually helped studies really, I had to be at a newsagents at 6am 3 times a week, so I was having early nights and not going out so much. I'd have just been going out til late, and in bed in the morning otherwise, not studying or earning!
Posted 4 months ago # -
Its all very good topping up your kids finances when they go to uni ,but what happens if you loose your job and income, or they decide uni is not for them, let them make their own wage, or dont go.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I'm a dad with a son at Bath Uni. We pay his accommodation costs and he has to live off his loan, plus anything else he saves from working etc. We do help out every so often, if we are visiting we take him to the supermarket and pay for a load of shopping and I'll give him some beer money every so often.
If it all goes to plan, I'll have a second son at Uni next year and we aim to do the same.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I was at law school for 6 years (LLB in Scotland for 4, then 1 year GDL and 1 year LPC in England).
My mum was not in a position to help me financially. I worked pretty much full time hours for all 6 years (although I did reduce the hours for the LPC because it had a minimum attendance requirement).
If you are in a position to help, I would say that (for an LLB at least) she should try to limit her working hours to around 10-15 per week (e.g. 8 hours on a saturday and perhaps one or two shifts through the week).
I had to work my backside off to keep up at times. Fortunately, an LLB is pretty easy as far as required actual intellectual ability goes, however it can be quite time demanding due to the sheer volume of reading and essay writing required.
I enjoyed working the hours that I did (I can't sit still for more than 10 mins and enjoyed being around normal people rather than twatfaced law students talking incessantly about training contacts all day), and in some respects it has helped me be the person/lawyer I am today. That said, I would probably have achieved better grades if I had more time to devote to the course (or maybe I would have just wasted it anyway
). I walked away with a 2:1, but a 1st should have been within my grasp. Those undergrad grades are one of th key things that sets you apart when applying for vac scheme and training contracts - best to get the highest marks you can!If you (or your daughter) would like any advice re studying law or getting a TC etc, please feel free to email me (address in profile). I practise in both Scotland and England (currently based in Scotland) and I'm trainee supervisor for the Scottish offices of my firm (a global commerical entity), so happy answer any queries
Posted 4 months ago # -
Daughter 1 started at Sheffield Hallam last September, so we're still getting used to things. AS said above, the maintenance portion of the loan just covers her accomodation (halls this year) fees. We give her £200 a month for everything else (+ £20 phone contract) and she seems to be managing fine. She has quickly learned to shop late at night for the out of date bargins (smoked salmon and scrambled eggs is regularly on the menu)
Things may be different next year when she moves out of halls into a house. £260 deposit (which she covered) already paid and they don't get the keys until July!!
All in all, very proud (skint) Dad.
Posted 4 months ago # -
peterfile - many thanks for that - she is reading this post too, so I'll suggest she drops you a mail, much appreciated
Posted 4 months ago # -
peterfile - many thanks for that - she is reading this post too, so I'll suggest she drops you a mail, much appreciated
No worries, happy to help. I also mentor a few students each year from local universities and LPC/Diploma providers, so I know (from personal experience and through the people I mentor) most of the thoughts/queries that will probably be running around in her mind right now!
Posted 4 months ago #
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