Affording uni...

Former Member

not sure whether ths belongs in the money forum or this one...
anyway...

i really want to go to uni but i just cant afford it, im living with my boyfriend - which means i pay rent, i only work in retail so i barely have any money to save and tution fees just seem so much!
is there any financial help/advice i can get?

Former Member

Yes you can apply for a loan and a grant and also you don't have to pay your tuition fees straight away. It is an expensive venture but it's only something you truly have to worry about whenever you get your degree and are in the big wide world earning proper dough. I know people who are in uni, pay rent for a house and don't have a job so having a job definitely helps, you'll just be doing less and getting a lower wage packet at the end of the month but the uni experience is well worth it imo.

Former Member

Yerascrote wrote: »

Yes you can apply for a loan and a grant and also you don't have to pay your tuition fees straight away. It is an expensive venture but it's only something you truly have to worry about whenever you get your degree and are in the big wide world earning proper dough. I know people who are in uni, pay rent for a house and don't have a job so having a job definitely helps, you'll just be doing less and getting a lower wage packet at the end of the month but the uni experience is well worth it imo.

Yup, loans and grants!

Former Member

.

Former Member

i just want a degree so i have more options.
i live in stafford, a student town, so im pretty much living the student experience unwillingly haha!

but anyway, thanks so much for your help guys i had no idea i could do them for free because im on low income

helps greatly

Former Member

*Ri* wrote: »

i just want a degree so i have more options.
i live in stafford, a student town, so im pretty much living the student experience unwillingly haha!

but anyway, thanks so much for your help guys i had no idea i could do them for free because im on low income

helps greatly

i think he was referring to the OU, which is distance learning, as i understand

you'd study on your own time while working

its not quite the same as uni

Former Member

merry christmas and happy new year.

I have just signed up to do a degree with the Open University and my first course starts in February. It does not cost me anything to take these courses as I am on a low income and will not earn more than £16,000 a year. Yes, you do study via the pc but you also have tutorials to go to which is like going to uni but it means you study it in your time although the tma's have to be in on a certain time. I think it is great. You do not have to apply for a loan like real university and get into tooooooooooooooo much debt. They also pay for your books and now offer a grant towards purchasing a pc and printer.

Go the the Open University website and look to see what you would like to do?

Former Member

Uni is getting harder and harder for those of us not born with a silver spoon. Are there even grants any more?

I also love the rumour that the Student Loans Company will be privatised.

Former Member

.

Former Member

I think lots of unis give out their own grants - they certainly do at mine. You can also get bigger maintenance loans if you're from a lower income family, which, although you have to pay them back, it's not until you're earning a decent wage.

Our generation is being screwed over compared to our parents, because we have to pay the cash back, but still, there is money there to help you through the experience.

(I am a uni propagandist - I just think the experience is SO worth the money, even without the qualification)