Your Money POUND NOTES
Some parents of university students in England would have to contribute nearly £14,000-ayear to ensure their children have an acceptable standard of living while studying, a report has suggested.
University students studying outside of London need
£18,632 a year to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living, a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and Technologyone estimates.
Academics at Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) have developed a minimum income standard (MIS) for students – which estimates the amount needed to “fully participate in higher education”.
Government maintenance support – provided to help students to meet their living costs – “falls short” of what is needed, even for students receiving the maximum support available, according to the report.
It suggests the gap for students studying outside of London is £8,405 if they are from England, £6,482 if they are from Wales, £7,232 if they are from Scotland and £10,496 if they are from Northern Ireland.
First Direct has relaunched its £175 cash-to-switch incentive on current accounts, at a time when many similar offers have vanished from the market.
The bank said it previously saw significant take-up of the incentive when it launched for four weeks in late March.
To receive £175, customers need to meet certain eligibility criteria, including transferring a £1,000 balance into the account, switching at least two regular payments and using their debit card at least five times within 30 days of the account opening.
Switchers must go through the full Current Account Switch Service (Cass) process to transfer their everyday banking to receive the £175.