Student loan. no really it is the best thing you can do for yourself.
you said you're not entitled to financial aid? do you think this is because your parents (may) earn alot?
you can a get a "non-means tested" loan which basically gives you the full amount without taking your parents' earnings into account, its a good way.
also, if your parents aren't actually earning that much you can get a £1000 grant (non repayable) to aid. again if you are staying in London to study your loan amount will also be higher
as for repaying the loan; don't ever panic about that...
put it this way; i've started "re-payments on mine..." or i would do, but this is the thing; it is paid back directly out of whatever pay you earn, like PAYE tax, and on top of that, if you're not earning over a certain amount/ year you dont even start to pay.
for example: i am working 20 hours a week at £6.50/hour, not the greatist money i'll grant you, but it pays my rent, food bills and still leaves me with money to play with. My Partner (BF) works 40 hours a week at just over Nat. Min wage; he gets paid just under a grand a month (after tax
)
Neither of us earn enough to start repayments. last i heard you need to be earning over 16k/year to even START repaying, and even then i's means tested, so you wouldn't lose more that a few pounds a week, its less than tax and Nat Insurance.... (and I'm STILL waiting for my £900 rebate from last year >.> )
not only all this, but if you still havn't paid back your loan by the time you hit 35 /40 (that kinda time) it gets written off. seriously.
the student loan really is the best loan you will EVER get; its a low interest, gets taken minimally and doesn't affect your credit rating...
And on top of the loan, do you know about student accounts at banks? you can start one while you're still in college, with a £1000 non chargeable overdraft, and that increases every year you're in Uni... yea, i know, Debt = Bad, but this is useful; for a student, being in debt is beyond the norm, and the only time you get in trouble is if you go overdrawn on your overdraft (yes, people do it...)
after you finish uni, the over draft will slowly shrink, so you need to keep up on it, but that happens over about 5 years, so it's manageable
have a shop around with banks, and see if you can talk to a financial advisor, it think you need to now...
(and yes, the job situation sucks, it's why i'm holding on to mine with my teeth... the other girls i work with have all had their hours cut to practically 0; i got smart and got me a min. hour contract last year...)
but don't forget; alot of bars around your chosen Uni will be hiring temps in and so on, so get applications in there, as soon as freshers' is over
can i ask, where are you planning to go?
Wow... i ranted
Mod mode: Theif, Keaton. Pack it in both of you, or you'll both have an Infraction.