A Parent's Handy Guide to the University Transition
98% of parents admit they feel worried about sending their child to university, and it’s easy to see why. From finances to safety to mental health, the idea of your child living independently for the first time can stir up plenty of anxiety.
But while these concerns are completely natural, there are steps you can take to make the transition smoother for both you and your child.
Using insights from Now Student Living’s commissioned survey of 1,000 parents, we’ve put together a guide that tackles the most common fears head-on with practical tips and expert advice to help you feel prepared.
What Are The Top Parental Concerns?
When asked what they feared most about their child starting university, parents pointed to three main areas:
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Managing Money (58%) - Whether their child can budget, avoid debt, and cover day-to-day costs.
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Staying Safe (55%) - From accommodation standards to personal security.
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Mental Health (53%) - The emotional toll of independence, stress and loneliness.
But the survey also revealed a web of other concerns, from social life (74%) and living conditions (70%) to substances (67%) and academic performance (31%).
This guide takes those fears and reframes them into something practical: a step-by-step resource that helps you, as a parent, ease the transition and support your child with confidence.
1. Finances: Parents’ Number One Worry
It’s no surprise that money tops the list. For most students, university is the first time they’re expected to handle rent, bills, food, course costs, and social spending without parental oversight.
When asked about finances, parents said student debt was the single biggest fear. Surprisingly, only 9% felt their child’s lack of financial literacy was the problem, suggesting parents trust their children to learn, but fear the scale of debt itself.
How To Ease Financial Fears
Identifying what your fears are is a good start, but without a plan of action, you could still easily spiral into a rabbit hole of anxiety (and trust us, that won’t help you or your child!). So, here’s how you can support your child with their finances while easing your nerves…
Sit down together with a budgeting app like Monzo, Revolut or Emma. Encourage them to track not only spending, but also recurring costs, such as subscriptions or travel expenses.
Universities often offer bursaries, hardship funds and scholarships. Many families miss out simply because they don’t apply in time.
An emergency fund, even a few hundred pounds, can cushion delays in student loans or cover unexpected costs like laptop repairs.
17% of parents worry about part-time work affecting academic performance, but for many students, occasional shifts can actually ease stress and provide structure.
Whether it’s textbooks, travel or tech, encourage your child to compare costs and consider second-hand or rental options.
By having these conversations before the move, you replace uncertainty with structure. You don’t just reduce the risk of poor decisions; you also empower your child to feel more confident in managing their money independently.
Safety & Accommodation: Creating A Secure Foundation
Safety came out as the second biggest parental fear, with 55% of parents worrying about their children navigating a new city, living with strangers, or encountering risks on nights out, and housing is central to that fear. In fact, 70% of parents admitted they’re worried about their child’s living conditions.
Dr Jo Turley, Programme Leader at Wrexham University, advises parents to see accommodation in person where possible:
“Being able to see the accommodation in person and understand how student accommodation works, in terms of private and shared areas, helps to reduce anxiety.”
Whether that means a virtual tour or visiting the site yourself, familiarity reduces uncertainty and allows you to picture where your child will live, study, and experience the best of what university has to offer.
Practical Steps For Safety & Housing
As a parent or carer, you’re naturally going to be concerned about your child’s safety. So, how do you stop worrying? Spoiler: you can’t; it’s a part of parenthood. However, you can follow these practical tips and tricks to ensure you're fully prepared, so you can send your not-so-little one off with confidence, knowing that both you and they are well-equipped.
Purpose-built student accommodation, such as Now Student Living, often strikes a balance between private rooms and communal amenities like gyms and games rooms, providing both independence and connection in equal measure. While you’re there, check security, staff support, and maintenance policies.
Walk the routes to campus, note public transport stops, and look at the lighting around streets your child will use regularly.
Encourage travelling in groups, sharing location with trusted contacts, and always keeping enough money for taxis.
With 67% of parents worried about drugs and alcohol, it’s worth having an open, honest discussion. It’s best to avoid scare tactics and focus on boundaries along with safe decision-making.
Dr Turley also highlights the importance of trust:
“Once this initial anxiety has been allayed, parents will find it easier to ‘let go’ of their child, which really promotes independence.”
For parents, reassurance comes not just from rules, but from confidence in the systems and people around their child.
3. Mental Health: The Silent Concern
53% of parents worry about their child’s mental health while at university; It’s an understandable fear. Independence comes with so much pressure, including academic deadlines, friendship dynamics, financial stress, and adjusting to a new environment.
If you’re wondering how to support your child and any mental health issues they may be dealing with, here’s how you can support them:
Sleep, diet, exercise and downtime all contribute to resilience. Even one “non-negotiable” habit, such as Sunday batch cooking or a weekly fitness class, can anchor their week.
Most universities provide counselling, wellbeing hubs, and peer mentoring. Add helpline numbers like Samaritans (116 123) to their phone before they need them.
As Colin Hill, Hub Service Director at Samaritans, explains, “Everyone has the potential to make others feel less alone,” so agree on a communication rhythm (be it texts or weekly calls) to help your child feel supported without feeling supervised.
Loneliness, homesickness and stress are common, but rarely permanent. By keeping lines of support open, you create a safety net, even from a distance.
4. Academic Pressures: Helping Without Hovering
Academic performance ranked third among parents’ top three concerns (31%). Many parents feel the shift from school to university is steep, with no parents to “ground” students when deadlines loom. On one hand, 66% of parents said they feel prepared to support their child through exams and coursework, while 9% believe students should manage challenges independently.
It’s a tricky one to navigate, but with these tips, you can effectively support your child without feeling like a micromanager and promote independence:
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Promote time-management tools: Digital calendars or physical planners help balance lectures, deadlines, and personal time.
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Encourage early use of resources: Universities offer study-skills workshops, tutoring, and library support, but students often wait until they’re in crisis to seek help.
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Be an encourager, not a fixer: Academic struggles are part of learning independence. Offer support in structuring tasks, but allow them to take ownership of solutions.
5. Social Life: Making Connections That Matter
While academics and money dominate, 74% of parents worry about their child’s social life. Will they find the right friends? Will they feel left out? Will peer pressure lead to risky decisions? With these three steps, you can ease this concern in no time:
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Encourage small, brave steps: Societies, sports clubs, and student events are designed to help students connect. Suggest joining at least one society related to a hobby, and one that’s brand new.
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Talk about shared living: Setting ground rules around cleaning, noise, and shared items reduces friction with flatmates.
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Remind them they’re not alone: Everyone is nervous at first, but simple introductions go a long way.
The survey proves that almost every parent worries about this transition. But by breaking those fears into clear areas (money, safety, mental health, academics, and social life), it’s easier to see where you can step in and where you can let go.
Your child is about to embark on a transformative journey. With preparation, reassurance, and trust, university can be a time where they not only grow academically but also develop independence, resilience, and responsibility.
And for parents? With the right strategies in place, you can sleep a little easier knowing you’ve done everything you can to set them up for success.