So screwed for money

LegacyUser

I jus paid my college fees its my last year in college and I havent a penny left! My parents dont give me a cent and they make too much for me to get the grant. I didnt want to work during my final year because I wanted to concentrate on it and most of the places I had part time jobs have u working 2-3 evenings a week, and saturday, AND sunday! Id love to get a job only workin 1 day a week but part time jobs are hard to get as it is never mind someone who is picky like me with the days (it is my final year and all). I nearly failed my last year in college I was workin so much but I managed to scrape through it but I dont think I Could in final year with my thesis and all. Any ideas ???? Is there a bank loan u can get and pay back when u finish college? Do ur parents need to guarantee on this, cos mine wont. Thanks in advance for any replies

OrangeOranges

My parents dont give me a cent and they make too much for me to get the grant

Need to talk to your folks dude.

Even 50 quid a week would make a huge difference.

Also loads of loans available but be so so so so so so so so ...................careful about how you use this facility. Basically its so easy get the cash but you will leave college riddled with debt for the rest of your life!!

Paying huge interest etc etc etc

My advice get loan amounts to pay rent up front for the year. For specific specific expenditures. Not for cost of living.

Finally there are huge amounts of EU money available for struggling students. Find out who administers the cash in your college. Sometimes mature student officier. sometimes priest , etc etc ...........

Its free money!!

Moonbeam

Apply to the student assistance fund in your college and work part time.

Miss Fluff

Your folks sound like they are being unreasonable. Won't they contribute at all? Do they understand how financially tough the next year will be for you? See if you can borrow some money from them if they are not prepared to help you out. Also, what's your degree in? Leaving Cert grinds are pretty lucrative and you can choose your own hours. Alternatively, does your college have a hardship fund?

littlebug

I worked one night a week in a nursing home during my final year. It was a Thursday night and I'd no classes on Fridays so it didn't interfere terribly with my study. There were usually a few hours in the middle of the night when it was quiet and I could open the books too. It paid the rent.
That was quite a while ago.. it might be harder to get healthcare jobs now. I don't know if you're male of female... being female and studying psychology probably helped me there. There are jobs out there that you can do one day/ night per week but you just have too look a bit harder for them.
I'd say pick up whatever advice you can from here on getting assistance funds etc... there are ways around this without getting into horrible debt. Boo to your folks...

corkcailin

Definitely try talking to your parents about it. look for a pt job, one which wont interfer with ur study

LundiMardi

Even if you could get a weekend job in maccy d's or something...

Also, cut down on unneccessary expenditures, stop smoking, stop drinking, stop buying take aways, start walking, shop in lidl/aldi etc... and look down the back of the couch, there's probably a small fortune there:)

Oh, parents, mine are the same.... :rolleyes: If you're not gonna be arsed helping your kids in latter life education, then the least you can do is save for a college fund, even 10 euro a week amounts to 9360 euro over an 18 year period!!!!

ronbyrne2005

I did security whilst in college, you sit at a desk in an office block in evenings/weekends and basically get paid for studying. I'd recommend it if your parents dont help or if you dont want to have a big loan unpon leaving college (its hard enough starting out on a grad salary)

Nevyn

Why didnt you get a job over the summer and save ?

SoupyNorman

Well I must say I have it pretty under control. Like yourself I'm in my final year, parents cant afford to help me EVERY week but do whenever they can but I dont ask so they just give when possible. Dont get the grant (father self employed blah blah) so I've worked my way through college.

For the last three years I took out a loan of about 2500 to pay my accomodation up front so I didnt need to worry about making the rent every week. Got a great job in xtra-vision 2years ago and its ideal for college as you only work 6-12 and 1-2 weekday night shifts max.
The beauty is the loan only costs 35euro p/w so it leaves me with more cash out of my wages to live on each week and now as I'm in 4th year I dont do weekday night shifts no more.

Firstly you should explain to your parents that you really need help, this is a vital year and yu want to do as well as possible.

Take out a student loan, 3000 euro will only cost 15 p/w (apprx) or they might defer it until next summer.

Finding work should not be too difficult if you try hard enough especially as everywhere is hiring for the xmas at the minute.

Make sure you act now not in a months time when exams are around the corner my friend.

secret_squirrel

Do you live with your parents? If you dont/havent you might be elidgible to be considered on your own income rather than your parents.

Why wont your parents help support you? Are there issues?

Gillo

Why not get a job up until christmas and work as much as you feel you can work, aim to get a basic grade in you xmas exams. Try saving some of the money you are earning now.

Then after christmas give up the job, work yourself as hard as possible in college- effectively you'll be playing catch up.

It's not a perfect solution but it may help.

Nevyn

secret_squirrel wrote:

Do you live with your parents? If you dont/havent you might be elidgible to be considered on your own income rather than your parents.

Even if you are not living at home you are assesed against your parents until you are 23, I know someone who was 22 and married and they still assessed her against her parents means.

Maddness.

I worked while I was in college doing two 12 hour shifts at the weekend but
was wise enough to save up over the summer before my final year and over the christmas so that I didnt' have to work for the final few months.

Getting a student loan maybe an option but you will have to get someone
usually your parents to co sign the loan.

theTinker

that sucks dude....I was in the same both but my mom bailed me out and it worked out great.

Some colleges have things like working in the library or working putting bags + coats away near the library. You should inquire about that because u can do it in between classes if u have an hour off.

If your able to be extremely cheap then you could get one of them part time jobs u dont want but quit after 2 months of saving? first month of college is usually kinda quiet comparing to rest.

"homebase" makes thier staff work sat+sun+ 1 late evening if that helps. Clock as many hours as u can but save it all. My college (ITT) had some students do java tutorials with others, 4th year helping a 2nd or 1st year like. Easy to do, usually in college, and pays well enough 10+ an hour. post a sign on a board.

LegacyUser

ulster bank. open a student account and u will recieve a 650 overdraft limit. handy for emergencies.

Just try not to blow it all going out

Crash

If you can get your parents to sign as guarantors for a loan, you can get 2000+ on loan, deferred for a year or so, from most banks. makes life a lot easier

cork-langer

Thaedydal wrote:

Why didnt you get a job over the summer and save ?

Obviously went towards his college fees!


Listen man, get down to your nearest Ulster Bank! when you open a student account you automatically get €650 INTEREST FREE loan.
And.... wait for it.. You dont have to pay it off until you graduate.

I did it last year and it was so helpful.

Noelie

I got a BOI student loan a few years ago and the apr was 7% i think, even if you borrow 2000, without paying anything back untill next year it will only be about 150 euro in interest, that will hardly take years to pay back, one you get a job, pay back 200 a month and it will be clear in ten months after you finish college.

RiderOnTheStorm

thats a real pickle, a'right. I feel for ya.

I worked in a petrol station at night when I was in college. It was only a short stint, but it was great. Loads of opp for study, and I got paid. Same situ as security and nursing home as mentioned before. Any night job like that might suit.
I heard that McDonalds were doing a 'family' job scheme, where the family is employed to cover the shift, and they dont care who actually turns up. If you got a couple of friends in simular situation and claimed you were brothers (not sure of legal issues here) then you could all share the work?

other suggestions:
-go busking (you dictate hours, and musical skill not necessary, juggle, tell yarns, do magic, draw on street, etc)
-sell your stuff on ebay
-give walking tours of the city (not sure where you are) Friend of mine did this years ago and had great craic and made some money. Get a tourist book, pick a walking route, learn a few dates, stand on Grafton St with a sign and bobs your uncle. My mate used to throw in stuff like 'over there used to live Mary McBride, my first girlfriend' or 'that alley there is where *someone famous* got sick' etc....the yanks loved it

Sleepy

OP, tbh, I don't see why you can't get a part-time job and still do your coursework. Lets be honest, unless you're doing a combined 60 hours a week of study, lectures, tutorials etc, you've still a fair bit of free time.

If you're *that* fussy about what hours you'll work, you could try:

* Give grinds to students in years below you / Leaving Cert.
* Try get some tutorial positions, trust me, these are seriously easy money and quite well paid (€17.50 an hour when I was doing it)
* Student Union jobs, usually very informal, very flexible timewise and you'll get minimum wage or slightly over it

Loans are dead easy to get but take it from someone still paying them back over three years after graduation, they hang around for a *long* time unless you're good with money. Part time jobs are never that hard to get if you're prepared to do an honest evening's work for a fair paycheque, just get out there and look for them.