Updated for 2026
Student loans
While at university, your child’s two main costs are tuition fees and living costs. They can apply for student finance to help with both. It’s not like a bank loan – it's an investment in their future.
Tuition fee loan (for learning costs)
Tuition fees for an undergraduate degree are specified on each course page. Remember, your child doesn’t pay this up front, and they can apply for a loan to cover their fees, regardless of household income. Their tuition fee loan is paid directly to the university, and they can apply before receiving an offer.
Maintenance loan (for living costs)
Your child can also apply for a maintenance loan to cover living expenses, such as rent, meals and socialising. It’s paid directly into their bank account in instalments throughout the year. How much they can get depends on household income and whether they live at home or away. Parents help by sharing income details during the application.
Did you know?
If your household income is above £25,000, you won’t get the maximum Maintenance Loan. The government expects that you’ll help to support your child while you’re at university. Read Martin Lewis’ guide to parental contributions.
Repaying the loans
Remember, your child will only start repaying when it’s affordable. Repayments start when they’re earning £25,000 or more, paying back 9% of anything above that. Repayments come straight from their salary.
Extra financial help
Your son or daughter can also apply for scholarships, grants or bursaries to boost their bank balance. If your child is eligible and their application is successful, they’ll get this money as well as their student loans. And the best bit is, they don’t have to pay it back.
Scholarships, grants and bursaries
These are cash awards that can help towards your child’s living and learning costs. There are different types awarded for different reasons. Scholarships tend to reward excellent results, while grants and bursaries are there to support disabled students and those from low-income households and underrepresented backgrounds.
Check how much your child can get now
Use gov.uk’s student finance calculator to see how much tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and extra funding your son or daughter could get to cover their living and learning costs.
Budgeting and living costs
Your hard-earned, thrifty advice is vital here. Even if your son or daughter is normally good with money, budgeting for rent, food and bills can be a learning curve.
Don’t buy them expensive crockery as nothing will come back. Also, don’t be pressured to buy kitchen goods you know they won’t need – have they used a baking tin in the last 18 years? If not, they probably won’t now!Paul
Father to Chris (BSc Biology, MSc Translational Oncology)
Cost of living
How affordable is the city? Studying and living in London will cost much more than in a northern city like ours. So, bear this in mind when you’re calculating costs and budgeting.
Did you know?
Hull is one of the UK’s most affordable cities. Cheaper than Leeds, Lincoln, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, London and more.3
Part-time work
Do they already have a job? They could transfer to a local branch or look for something similar nearby. Universities also offer paid opportunities like working as a student ambassador.
Course-related costs
Depending on their subject, your child may need to pay towards trips, books or equipment for their course. Using the library or buying second-hand can help manage these.
Remember the fun stuff, too
Don’t forget to allow for spending on clothes, hobbies and other luxuries so you know how much they can comfortable afford now.
And be sure to take advantage of student discounts. Apple, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, Odeon, ASOS, Just Eat, Deliveroo: all these and much more offer money off exclusively for students.
Bank all your supermarket loyalty points then trade them in for restaurant vouchers at somewhere like Pizza Express or wherever will be local for them. Maddie really appreciated being able to go out for a nice meal when money was tight.Stella
Mother to Maddie
Expect some unexpected extras
You can’t plan for everything. But here are a few last things that are worth considering:
- Deposits for accommodation or course-related items
- Travel expenses, such as bus passes or railcards
Money advice and support
Most universities offer financial wellbeing support. At Hull, our friendly team provides budgeting advice, money guidance and one-to-one help with fees, funding and changes in circumstances.
How to choose the right student accommodation
As you know, moving away from home is a big deal. Suddenly they’re responsible for their own budget, food, chores, and schedule. You might be worried about how your child will cope with this new independence. Don’t worry, we understand completely.
When you’re visiting universities, make sure you look around the rooms. Your child will get a better idea of what accommodation will suit them best and what it’ll be like to live there.
Did you know?
All new full-time undergraduate students at Hull are guaranteed a room in university-owned, managed, or directed accommodation, as long as they apply by 31 August in their year of entry.
On or off-campus
Your child can choose to live either on campus or off campus while they study.
- On-campus accommodation usually means university-managed halls located close to lectures, support services and social spaces.
- Off-campus accommodation typically refers to student houses or flats in the surrounding area, offering a more independent living experience.
Accommodation costs
These vary depending on location, room type and facilities, but there’s a wide choice to suit different budgets. WiFi, utility bills and insurance are all included in your child’s rent if they stay in our university owned or managed accommodation.
How to apply for student accommodation
How and when your child can apply for student accommodation depends on:
- What stage they’re at in their UCAS application
- Which type of offer they hold: firm offer, insurance offer or an offer through Clearing
Each university may have a slightly different way for students to apply for and book their rooms, but the process will largely be the same.
Keep an eye on emails
Your child’s university will send all accommodation application emails to the personal address they’ve registered with UCAS. So encourage them to keep a close eye on their inbox, and double check that the emails don’t accidentally land in their spam folder.