My daughter is looking to go to University in the fall and I wondering if anyone could share the sort of budget they kids of student needed/used. Her prefered UNI is Geneva right now. I know accomodation looks like around 800 for a studio room I call it. But what of living expenses?
Can an EF members have kids who are at University?
A google search with âstudent budget genevaâ brings up the following
Cost of Living in Geneva for Students.
Also this
Shared uni accomodation would be cheaper and sharing with fellow students may well be better for your child
Interesting thread. In anticipation of uni in a few years, I am budgeting for the following for each of my kids monthly for a Swiss university:
Rent/electricity/Billag/Internet-1000
Health Insurance -350
Transport - 50
Food - 400
Clothes - 100
Fees, books, PC/iPad /Mobile Phone - 100
And they would need to work for any leisure activities which comes on top. But I will pay for their holidays if they come with us 
Any thoughts?
Health insurance may be higher than your estimate in a few years timeđ
Other than that it looks quite ok and reasonable.
2k for each child, no? If your kids are very close in age it means youâll have double expenses for a good few years. Maybe one of them at least will live with you till they finish their studies.
Yes absolutely, intended that budget per child. Still costs me less than Krippe for 2 
I know! 
Our hope is theyâll get a part-time job during uni (defo if they will want to move out!!)âŚof course not always do-able e.g. if one of them decides to study medicine.
About 10 years ago I was at ETH in Zurich, and back then about 1500 was what I had to live with. It was not really sustainable, had an assistant job that helped and put me on access to the reduced premiums so health insurance was pretty reasonable at below 100CHF. I needed some help here and there to cover for gaps, and it could get ugly, but it (kinda) worked.
Buzzerâs suggestions seems more reasonable. Also in Zurich WOKO used to be around 650 or so, donât know however how relevant this number remains.
Buy them a SBB ticket for 2780 a year and save on the housing costs.
If we can afford it, would rather they leave home and go be uni students with all that it entails. Maybe they will even go abroad, figured if I budget for Switzerland it should work anywhere else where uni is free.
I think most of them go for one year or 6 months abroad anywayâŚ? Even we had Erasmus programme. Anyway, I wouldnât be so sure they will want to study abroad the entire uni time, so better start saving from now. 
Keep staying with the parents is a necessity in many cases, but if itâs possible to provide some support then living on your own is a great experience that the sooner it happens in adulthood the better Iâve seen it to be. I left home for university, and then started partially supporting myself within a couple of years, and my approach to many things was quite different from friends that stayed with their parents for a few more years.
I know a lot of people that left home at 25+ and it was a bumpy start. In the long run it works out, but there is a couple of years to adjust to living on your own, budgeting money, time, preparing for chores, etc.
Thanks to everyone who has come back to date? No mention of student loans here? Does it make sense to talk to the bank or will they simply smile and show you the door.
Also, as it is not clear to meâŚis there accommodation available for students at student prices i.e. veeeery reasonable? Where I come from these were rather limited and available for people coming out of town/country. Just moving out from your parents house to rent an apt in ZH doesnât make much sense to me if you only have to commute within say 40 km and can earn only a very low wage with a part-time job.
AnywaysâŚparents do have to chip inâŚ
Already have 1 in Canada doing an exchange semester but yes, saving for Switzerland
I donât know but would also imagine it is very limited. We live in Zurich City so indeed would be strange to move out BUT I would also understand it from all perspectives - letâs see what happens. When they were younger I was encouraging them to move out, now that this time.is approaching I am not too sure anymore as they are quite fun to have around and I would miss them 
I donât know about it but I do know that students can get social aid if they donât have sufficient funds, so in case parents canât provide thereâs still this last resort possibility.
But yeah, the idea of student loan is appealing in some cases, am not sure itâs done here though.
This link from ch.ch might lead to more info about grants and financial assistance generally.
And another link to a source of funds.