University accommodation affordable without outside help? (1 Viewer)

[klaw]

I've done some research on accommodation + living costs, both catered and self-catered and at different colleges and I've always ended with a figure of around $300/week.

Is it reasonable to be able to earn that much while at uni full time (Commerce degree)? Do many people pay for their own accommodation + living costs at uni colleges? Are they able to cope with the costs?

 

[phatic]

It shouldn't be too hard if you apply for youth allowance. Combined with rent assitance, you can probably get about $200 a week, and you are allowed to earn up to $230 per week (I think), before they start reducing your allowance.

 

[klaw]

The problem with relying on youth allowance is the parental incomes test. If I rely on it to pay my rent and my dad finds a job after I move out I'm fucked.

 

[Frigid]

do you count as 'independent' for the YA test? if you don't the parental tests don't apply.

 

[ybnormal]

income means is great, ceot when it includes your parents who you don't talk to and step-parents. leasteays thats what school keeps telling me <sigh>

 

[klaw]

do you count as 'independent' for the YA test? if you don't the parental tests don't apply.

If you can demonstrate you are independent of your family, the Parental Means Test will not apply to you. You are considered independent if:
• you have worked at least 30 hours a week for at least 18 months during the last two years
• you have worked at least 15 hours a week for at least two years since leaving secondary school
• you are assessed as having a partial capacity to work (job seeker only)
• you left secondary school at least 18 months ago and have earned at least 75 per cent of the maximum ‘Commonwealth training award payment’ since leaving school (this amount must have been earned within an 18 month period)—75 per cent of the Commonwealth training award payment as at July 2005 is $17 667
• you are, or have been married
• you are, or have been living in a marriage like relationship for 12 months or more
• you have been living in a marriage like relationship for six months or more which ended because your partner died or because of domestic violence
• you have, or have had, a dependent child
• your parent/s are unable to exercise their parental responsibilities because they are in a nursing home, are mentally incapacitated, cannot be located or are in prison, or
• it is unreasonable for you to live at home because:
– there is extreme family breakdown
– there is a serious risk if you continue to live in the parental home
– you are consistently deprived of basic necessities such as food, water, clothing, power, shelter or sleep
– your health and well-being are seriously threatened by drug or alcohol abuse, criminal or illegal activities or there is violence in the home
– your parent/s are unable to provide a suitable home because they lack stable accommodation
– you are a refugee, an orphan or are (or have been) in state care, or
– you are aged 25 or older.

I'm not any of those so I'm considered dependent unless someone wants to marry me. Any volunteers?

 

[neo o]

College prices at university are generally only affordable at regional universities i.e. self catered accomodation at the ANU costs ~$140 and catered accomodation costs ~$240 for 21 meals. Food at a catered college will generally cost you ~$50-60 p/w.b. If you're careful with your money you won't spend much more beyond this (besides initial costs like RA fees and textbooks) as you don't need to pay for transport etc. If you're planning on staying at a regional college you'd probably be able to support yourself through ~20 hours of work p/w (any more and you wouldn't have much of a life ) but you can't expect to get a job staight away so you'd need parental support in the interim.

If you're planning on staying at an urban campus - don't - they're stupidly overpriced. A share house would be more affordable. If I were you I'd try to apply for youth allowance under the unreasonable to live at home clause anyway - it's worth a try, since YA will nearly cover you completely.

 

[klaw]

Unfortunately I can't apply for YA under the unreasonable to live at home clause . The problem with share houses is I don't know many other people who want to move out, we don't even know what unis we're gonna go into yet! But how much money approx does a share house save? And I'd personally rather stay with my parents and go to uni than defer and spend a year working full-time on a job with low-skill requirements.

I've done a spreadsheet on accommodation + living costs on ANU (B&G), Macquarie (MQ Village), Sydney Uni (Sydney University Village) and UNSW (Unilodge UNSW) available here http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pmro6o7M9sLsPSyiz7n1UHA

At $15/hr working for 20 hrs/week I can prolly afford to pay my expenses most weeks, but I'm yet to find a job . It's going to be hard now that all the big retailers have finished their christmas recruitment. I'll also have to apply for Youth Allowance + Rent assistance, and that can help immensely. But like I said, I don't think I should become too reliant on YA because I'm pretty screwed if my dad finds a job. Upfront costs are gonna be pretty hard to pay too since I have no savings and I'm yet to find work. Student loans may be an option but they probably won't lend you money without a guarantor and without a job. I'm overseas atm so I can't really do anything except discuss, but I'll have to do a lot when I get back.

 

[klaw]

Issues with asian parents trying to control every aspect of their children's lives of which they have absolutely no understanding of + refuse to listen to reasoning. Distance from uni is not a problem.

 

[ybnormal]

strangely enough, i do no of people who have "married" in a registry office, then "divorced" at the end of uni. it may be something to look into.... hmmm... for me at least.... <thinking deeply>