Won't Get Money From Parents - Options?

irish_goat

Hey folks,

I'm off to college in September but at the minute have no real idea how I'm going to afford it. As it is my parents earn just over the threshold for grants so I'll not receive any money there. Problem is though there is no way they can(or will) afford to pay my way at college. I'm working this summer so trying to save up and will attempt to get a part time job during term time but are there any options for me to try and get money? I literally cannot see how I will be able to afford college without some sort of help. I know the banks do interest free overdrafts but that'd be nowhere near enough to even cover rent.

Cheers.

EL_Loco

get a student loan also?

budget your money and try and be disciplined about it. not easy when everyone is out on the beer but factor in some entertainment money too.

Not sure how tight the banks have gotten but they used to be good about student loans because for the most part you'll be a customer for life.

irish_goat

Don't they expect those to be paid back relatively quickly though? There's no guarantee I'll have a job straight after the degree. Will pop into the bank tomorrow though.

Queev18

The college you will be attending may do SAF(Student Assistance Funds) whereby you apply at the start of the academic year. They are not available to people in receipt of grants so you would be a perfect candidate!You will get a few hundred depending on college budget and severity of your case. Contact your college for more info:)

disssco

Get a student loan if you need it. College is important, if only so you have a degree which will help you find better employment in the future. Its standard practice in many other countries to take out quite large loans to cover the costs of going to college. I think you are allowed to pay it back over a generous amount of time (or you could just do a runner, Ireland has crap weather anyway )

Alternatively (or as well) you could try to find work in a bar. If you have no experience pulling pints then you can still get work as a lounge boy (and make quite a bit in tips). The advantage of this type of work is that it is at night and at weekends so it won't interfere with college. The downside is that a lot of the time you won't be able to go out at the weekends because you'll have to work, and also your sleeping schedule will be messed up leaving you very tired when you get up for lectures on Monday morning.

irish_goat

disssco wrote: »

Get a student loan if you need it. College is important, if only so you have a degree which will help you find better employment in the future. Its standard practice in many other countries to take out quite large loans to cover the costs of going to college. I think you are allowed to pay it back over a generous amount of time (or you could just do a runner, Ireland has crap weather anyway )

Alternatively (or as well) you could try to find work in a bar. If you have no experience pulling pints then you can still get work as a lounge boy (and make quite a bit in tips). The advantage of this type of work is that it is at night and at weekends so it won't interfere with college. The downside is that a lot of the time you won't be able to go out at the weekends because you'll have to work, and also your sleeping schedule will be messed up leaving you very tired when you get up for lectures on Monday morning.

Cheers for that, will look into getting a loan.

I've stacks of bar experience fortunately and quite used to the sleeping schedule being messed up so that's grand. Hoping to be able to land a job but can't be overtly confident given the lack of those at the minute.

ayapatrick

just while yere on about a student loan! what rate of interest does be on them and how long until you have to pay it back?

annie19

or u sure ur parents are not just pulling your leg so to speak?! maybe that you will save as much as you can. if you are over the threshold for the grant, things sud be okay. im not sayin they wud be able to give you tonnes but just the bare min along with a part time job to get by??
am i way off the mark?! i hope i'm not, for your sake.
if i am off the mark and they really mean what they are telling you
a student loan is a must have....the economy will have picked up by the time u have finished col. think of it as an investment in urself.

Verbal_Kint

i know of someone on the grant who got a few quid extra from the college. it doesnt rule you out.

Verbal_Kint

The trick there is to learn to play E1/E2 No Limit hold em with 50 big blinds and learn the strategy for that exact format and you will clean up in the late night casino cash games.