Catherine Said:

What is a good rate to pay a Live in College student "Nanny" for 60 hours a month? (free room and board)?

We Answered:

$500 a month would be approximately the same as minimum wage for 60 hours.

Heidi Said:

Can a full time University student with a job get a council house?

We Answered:

Council houses aren't free, you still have to pay rent.

You register your name on the council list and they give you a number of points depending on your circumstance. How many kids, homeless, age, sex etc.

Then you look at the vacant houses they have available and when you find one thats suitable, you apply for it. If it's any good then they will allocate it to a single mum with two daughters and no income. If it has damp, in a really bad area with no transport, lots of vandalism and robberies and violence, then nobody else will want it and you may have a chance.

Jorge Said:

How to find a free host family in Spain for a non-student?

We Answered:

This is how it works: when you have a work offer, you apply for a work permit including the contract the employer is offering yo . It's not that you get your work permit and then start looking for a job ,but the opposite.

If you work for food and shelter, that's simply illegal. If you work, you get paid, pay taxes and have to be included in the Social Security (so that you have right to health care and those taxes you pay will be used for calculation for your retirement pension). For that kind of job you won't get a work permit at all, since to give a job to a foreigner, there has to be residents here that can't/won't take that job. And since that's not qualified job, with the current unemployment rate it's quite impossible that an employee is willing to go through all that redtape nightmare to hire you.

If you want to do that kind of work illegally, I doubt anyone will really dare doing something so risky and illegal for a perfect stranger (it might work with a friend, but a stranger? I doubt it). With a tourists visa you're not allowed to stay here more than 3 months. If you stay longer, you may be deported if the authorities find out you're here without a residence permit. We have lots of illegal immigrants, you may not be deported at all, but the risk is always there.

You could try finding some work as au pair, as it has been mentioned. That's the closest to slavery that's legal (working for food and shelter plus an indecently low amount of pocket money) in this country.

I don't mean to be harsh, it's only that things are really tough here now.

Gregory Said:

Is hosting an exchange student free?

We Answered:

While I don't know of any programs that will specifically charge you, they'll expect you to provide food and housing, and probably entertainment costs since most come from poorer countries. Have you discussed this with your parents? It's more their decision than yours, since they'll be footing the bill.

Viola Said:

Where can I get a free house plan for studying purposes?

We Answered:

This site might do you however there's only a front elevation,first & second floor plans not anything like specs for materials or foundations and so on,take a look anyway there are lots of different house types to choose from ok.

Anna Said:

should i wait for on campus housing to free up and risk i might not get a room?

We Answered:

No. If you wait and a room does not free up, then you are stuck without a room and you have to find a place off campus, and they fill up pretty quickly also.