Working to what is essentially a quarterly budget with lots of big expenses up front is tricky for lots of people, let alone someone who probably hasn't done that much budgeting before. I would suggest that once the accommodation fees are paid for this term, that the rest of the loan is put in a savings account (no card) and a standing order set up to drip feed it into his current account weekly (not forgetting the Easter holidays), so he always knows what is available to spend each week. You can also dripfeed to his current account if you wish.
Depending on the course, part-time jobs can be detrimental to grades, and I wouldn't recommend more than about 10 hrs per week.
I mostly lived off my overdraft and cards and then worked hard in the summer to get me back to the black before the next year started, I highly recommend this option, if he can get somewhere to guarantee a full summer of work. My final year was a close run thing, because of accommodation costs, but I knew it was going to be bad because I'd already done a rough budget (very little help from parents available other than a few grocery shops). I don't think asking him to do one is patronising, and it only needs to be rough. I think I had about £15 wk for food (checked for offers/reduced section pretty much everyday on my way home). Clothes and music were never that important to me, so I mostly didn't bother unless I needed them. Had a £15/m phone contract. I rarely went home in term time, although I did go to the boyfriend's once a month. Coaches are much cheaper than trains, and not always that much slower.
