[Closed] University, London...how much?

I can't answer many of your questions, but in a previous life I put on scientific conferences at Imperial college, and we hosted the delegates in the on site student accommodation ...presumably there is something similar still there?

And well done to your lad for aiming high.

I'd imagine there's some campus accomodation if it's anything like UCL and the Imperial website should have accomodation details or there should be a Reddit forum failing that.

I studied in London ages ago and now let property there, so have helped students recently, but no more due to a bad experience, I do know the costs tho so here goes.

2 bed flat in as London is c 1500 pcm. There are cheaper of course but you get what you pay for. For 1500 you get a safe, gated development. 2 people so 750 each. 12 month contract.

Say 100 pcm utilities, no council tax.

Transport, I cycled.

Food, entertainment, as much as you like.

My students did home tutoring so earned a fair bit.

A student will need a guarantor to underwrite the contract, so you need to be good for the contract rent and any damages. My students fell out after 3 months and tried to get out the contract. Guarantor paid.

Hope it helps, loved my student days but spent a fortune. Soon got it back though.

so they all disperse to outer cheaper areas

Yeah, I went to a different institution in London and it wasn't really the proper student experience because of this.

Would have preferred a (cheaper) provincial uni in hindsight.

Went to imperial 20 years ago. There is accomodation available for first years. Was 3-4k a year then so going to be about 6k I guess now. Fees are 9k. So 15k before living.

Private accommodation will be spendy. Used to rent houses and use the lounge and dinning rooms as bedrooms. The 750 number above is probably about right. Only really and option after the first year.

For imperial living in within zone 2 is good otherwise you are going to have a long trek to lectures. It will be full on so need to be close. Costs more but not a lot compared, but given the fees and time commitment you want to maximize your grades.

Going to be expensive but a good investment, Imperial is ranked 3rd in the UK for graduate employability.....

Depends how fussy he is about digs and how he wants to travel. I lived in Hackney which was a 45 min cycle, about the same on the bus and a little less by tube. It did mean accommodation was cheaper and I found it a great place to live for stuff going on. Its actually ok to cycle in London. Lots of quiet side streets, good cycle lanes. A lot of students on my course lived in and around Hammersmith, which is much nearer. If you want a flat it'll be pricey, if you are willing to house share then it's still expensive but a lot less. There is a lot of choice though.

I'd add that London is a great place to be a student. Loads going on and it's a good time of life to experience it. I like a day out by there now but I wouldn't want to live there

My daughter's finishing her Masters at Kings this year, and is sharing with 3 other girls in a central London flat. Cost per person is about 660GBP/month. She could no doubt get somewhere cheaper further out, but once you add in the cost of a monthly travelcard you don't save that much, and being able to walk to uni + being close to her social life is of course a huge advantage.

I send her another 400€ for monthly spending. On top of that she's got a part-time job, which pays for things like her holidays.

Son1 is now at Bristol on a second Masters. He (well I) am paying £600 pcm plus bills. London will be another £50-100. The living expenses will be the same and we give him £400 pcm on top and pay for other things like books. Budget £1100 pcm. Fees can be paid from the graduate tax loan.

If he really wants to study at Imperial, and gets the grades, then he should go if at all possible. Says someone who spent 7 years there (ARCS, DIC), together with Mrs TiRed who was there for 5 years! It won't be cheap, but in the long run it should repay itself handsomely.

And just to rub salt, I used to live in Putney and claim Housing Benefit. Cycling into South Kensington. Imperial now have a lot of accommodation in Acton, immediately off the A40. Quite an outpost. South of the river is much nicer.

Middle child currently in last year of a 4 year masters at Imperial, was to be a 3 year Bachelors, but with Covid and other factors chose to make it 4 and hopefully come out of student life into a more settled job market etc.

1st year was halls, Imperial owned, Pembridge Gardens in Notting Hill, a single room is £102 per week, cheapest of any Imperial offerings , though quite a few £156 or under.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/campus-life/accommodation/prospective/ug/fees/

Pembridge is walkable to campus, through Kensington Gardens, round the Albert Hall and you're in, so low transport costs.

2nd year in a privately owned halls used by Imp and other Unis, in Wood Green, £165 p/w, plus bigger transport costs.

https://www.optivostudents.co.uk/halls/Student-Halls/Wood-Green-Hall.aspx

Third year, thankfully got a flatshare with one of their mates whose dad owns it, in Putney, £90 p/w plus bills, one bus to campus, but it takes a while.

As for how to fund it, we only qualify for the minimum student loan (i.e. we're well off). Crucially, offspring doesn't drink or go partying/clubbing, but isn't a hermit either and does a bunch of club/soc stuff. Also started with a few grand in the bank from doing a real job during hols before going and in summers. With that, we have paid rent, they have done the rest from student loan. We've stumped up for new laptop and bits and bobs, but other than that they manage, frugally.

Too late for edit, but current flatshare rent is £500 per month, not £90/week, was looking at wrong payments in my bank statement. Still way under average due to essentially living with the owner.

Depends how fussy he is about digs and how he wants to travel. I lived in Hackney which was a 45 min cycle, about the same on the bus and a little less by tube. It did mean accommodation was cheaper and I found it a great place to live for stuff going on. Its actually ok to cycle in London. Lots of quiet side streets, good cycle lanes.

This was what I did at UCL 20+ years ago once i was out of halls.

I remember that the cost of a weekly zone 1-2 travelcard at the time pretty much equated to the difference in rent in Homerton vs Bloomsbury. If you're motivated to travel the distances on time it can be handy (my Dad used to think it was funny to ring my house at 7am to wake everyone up, because he was at work so why weren't we!
Cycling paid for beer and assorted additional enhancements. But to be fair i was pretty lucky financially.

I chose to study in London over a campus experience or uni town because I didn't want to be immersed in student life to the exclusion of all else, but wanted to be part of a broader community. (in the end I played football with the kids on Hackney Marshes but that was about it!)

I also felt that i'd never want to work in London and be subject to the rat race commute but it would be a good place to take advantage of with the relative freedom of a student's schedule. I got that bit right.

Some fab responses as usual, uni education was far cheaper 25 years ago. I estimated my year was going to cost c 10k all in so my dad offered me half if I could find the other half.

My half came via grants and loans, plus a summer job where I worked every hour going for 5 months. I did get housing benefit too, can't remember it being much but every bit helps.

Strangely enough, of all the things I have done since, I still remember that job fondly. The company has done really well and I left at an early stage.

This is really helpful, thanks for your replies

Son1 is now at Bristol

Misread that as "Borstal" which confused me no end.