How hard is it to financially survive away from home for a full-time student? (1 Viewer)

[ClockworkSoldier]

I went to uni when there was no student starter packages etc.

I had a shitty $1000 car. A single room with shared amenities. Living on $448 a fortnight (rent assistance + youth and living away from home allowances).

$110 rent a week = $228 left.

Minus about $90 fuel (full fill - needle past red on final day of the fortnight) = $138.

$80 for food (Later cut down to $50 cause I wasn't surviving) = $58.

$20 for credit (phone being my ONLY point of contact - ultra frugal calling/texting) = $38.

Keep in mind these expenses were all fortnightly. I had $38 left FOR A FORTNIGHT.

I lived like this for a year and couldn't do it anymore. I deferred (until further notice, one good thing about that uni is you never lose your spot) and went job hunting (most of you know that story already).

In that year I lost 15 kilos from starvation and stress - my car broke down four times, Rudd payed for all of that... But that was an extreme case. I've been poor; and I mean DIRT POOR for my whole life and had no savings, no backup, not anything to fall back on.

So yeah. That is an example of one extreme for ya. Don't let it dishearten you, give it a go, you may do better; and even if you don't, you'll learn very valuable super-budgeting skills.

 

[Aquawhite]

Without any of the Centrelink scholarships, life sure does suck - I can vouch for that because I essentially live like this at home, but Mum has started earning a bit more as the years went by so it's become a bit easier.

@Ausbluesman: That's tough shit right there.

Edit: You can also get an Advance Payment from Centrelink at any time, which gives you close to $500, and then about $30 is deducted from your regular fortnightly payments to pay the advance payment back. I am currently paying one back because I need the money to help pay the security bond on my place.

 

[Aquablack]

Without any of the Centrelink scholarships, life sure does suck - I can vouch for that because I essentially live like this at home, but Mum has started earning a bit more as the years went by so it's become a bit easier.

@Ausbluesman: That's tough shit right there.

Edit: You can also get an Advance Payment from Centrelink at any time, which gives you close to $500, and then about $30 is deducted from your regular fortnightly payments to pay the advance payment back. I am currently paying one back because I need the money to help pay the security bond on my place.

I feel so sorry for all of you lol, life must be tough

 

[ajdlinux]

http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/guides_ac...ide-3.8/ssguide-3.8.15/ssguide-3.8.15.10.html details all the criteria for paying Relocation Scholarships.

The main condition is that you have to be paid at the 'dependent living away from home' rate or you are independent for certain specified reasons. No mention of a 200km rule or anything like that.

Was looking something else up on the Centrelink site and came across the page describing what you have to do to be considered 'away from home'.

"If you are a full-time tertiary student who needs to live away from home to study, you may be eligible for the higher rate if:

* it takes more than 90 minutes by public transport to travel from your parents’ home to your place of study
* there is a compulsory requirement to reside at your education institution while you study
* you are undertaking part of your Australian approved course at an overseas institution."

So realistically it would be more like a 50-100km radius.

 

[Arceupins]

My parents earn enough so that I don't get Youth Allowance, but they won't give me money for uni and insist I defer and work for a year.

Fucking stinges.

 

[izzy88]

My parents earn enough so that I don't get Youth Allowance, but they won't give me money for uni and insist I defer and work for a year.

Fucking stinges.

I'm fairly sure with the new independance requirements (unless you are a country kid), that to be declared 'independant' for youth allowance you have to work 18months full time over two years...which basically means taking two years off (or at least 1.5). Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

edit: opps unless you were just meaning you have to work for a year to get the money, rather than working with the intention of getting youth allowance after that... (which is what a lot of people used to do)

 

[Aquawhite]

Some places are still eligible to earn over a certain amount, which you have to apply for in writing, over the 18month working scheme over 2 years. To be eligible for earning just over $21k instead of the 18months you have to fill out a few forms and wait in line forever, but it's beneficial to some people.

 

[Aquablack]

My parents earn enough so that I don't get Youth Allowance, but they won't give me money for uni and insist I defer and work for a year.

Fucking stinges.

Thats disgusting, if mine were like that I would leave home

 

[Kralex]

Thats disgusting, if mine were like that I would leave home

Lol how? You'd have to defer and work for a year.

So in the end, the parents are right.

BING!

 

[Aquablack]

Lol how? You'd have to defer and work for a year.

So in the end, the parents are right.

BING!

Your parents wouldn't let you leave if they actually loved u

 

[irvine]

I went to uni when there was no student starter packages etc.

I had a shitty $1000 car. A single room with shared amenities. Living on $448 a fortnight (rent assistance + youth and living away from home allowances).

$110 rent a week = $228 left.

Minus about $90 fuel (full fill - needle past red on final day of the fortnight) = $138.

$80 for food (Later cut down to $50 cause I wasn't surviving) = $58.

$20 for credit (phone being my ONLY point of contact - ultra frugal calling/texting) = $38.

Keep in mind these expenses were all fortnightly. I had $38 left FOR A FORTNIGHT.

I lived like this for a year and couldn't do it anymore. I deferred (until further notice, one good thing about that uni is you never lose your spot) and went job hunting (most of you know that story already).

In that year I lost 15 kilos from starvation and stress - my car broke down four times, Rudd payed for all of that... But that was an extreme case. I've been poor; and I mean DIRT POOR for my whole life and had no savings, no backup, not anything to fall back on.

So yeah. That is an example of one extreme for ya. Don't let it dishearten you, give it a go, you may do better; and even if you don't, you'll learn very valuable super-budgeting skills.

:O is that rent in sydney?
mine is like $225 a week!

 

[Studentleader]

Shii, you have to move 200km to qualify for the relocation scholarship? Ahh, I was hoping I could get it because I'm moving 100km... :s Technically I could commute, but it would be 3+ hours of train commuting each day :/ I might call Centrelink tomorrow.

Pretty sure if you live more than 1.5 hours via public transport from home you get full YA and scholarship

 

[Studentleader]

:O is that rent in sydney?
mine is like $225 a week!

Yeah mine is going to be atleast $175 in Canberra

 

[irvine]

Glebe is so expensive haha. That said, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

 

[Arceupins]

I'm paying $120 a week for a room in Rockdale, Sydney. Pretty shit but hey.

I'm assuming I'll be paying less than $200 a week total, since I live fairly minimally anyway.

 

[Aquablack]

I'm paying $120 a week for a room in Rockdale, Sydney. Pretty shit but hey.

I'm assuming I'll be paying less than $200 a week total, since I live fairly minimally anyway.

Hahahahaha rockdizzzzzzle

 

[Arceupins]

Hahahahaha rockdizzzzzzle

: (

 

[rebeccalbanks]

Advice: Go to Macquarie. Cute bunnies live there. Cute delicious bunnies you can hunt with a harpoon and have for dinner. Or I don't know maybe cannibalism? Only international students though, I'd recommend the American ones. I think they'd taste like McDonalds.

 

[Studentleader]

I am paying $200 a week for my apartment in Canberra (sharing with 2 young professionals.)