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Applying to university

Applying to university as a care leaver

For care leavers, applying to university can throw up issues and obstacles, but there is plenty of help and support available during and after the application process.

Female student at university campus

CONTENTS

  1. Care leavers and care experienced students going to uni

  2. Financial support is available

  3. Most unis provide year-round accommodation for care leavers

  4. University support for care leavers

  5. Extra support is available

  6. Help before you go to uni

Care leavers and care experienced students going to uni

If you’re a care leaver or care experienced, you might feel anxious about going to university. You may worry about paying for uni, or whether you’ll get enough support once you’re there. We outline the help that could be available to you, so you can do your research before you go. It’s worth contacting any unis you’re interested in early on, to see what support they offer.

Financial support is available

Student finance (a student loan) is the usual way to fund a university degree. A student loan may sound like a lot of debt, but you only start paying it back once your income is over £20,000, depending on the nation you live in when you take your loan out. 

As a care leaver, if you’ve been looked after by a local authority around the time you were 16 and haven’t returned to the care of your parents since, you should be able to apply for student finance as an independent student. This means you won’t have to provide details of your household income and will be eligible for the maximum living cost/maintenance support, as well as a tuition fee loan. Definitions of care vary across the UK, so check with your student finance company whether you qualify.

If you live in Northern Ireland or Wales, some of your maintenance support will be as a grant, which you won’t have to repay. If you’re in Scotland and studying a full-time undergraduate course, rather than getting a student loan you’ll be eligible for a bursary of £8,100. You’ll also have your tuition fees paid or get a tuition fee loan to study elsewhere in the UK.

Students with children, or students with a disability such as dyslexia, can get government grants to help with extra costs. Some subjects also offer bursaries to encourage students to study them, such as nursing or medicine, social work and teaching.

Other financial support could also be available for care experienced students:

  • Financial help from your local authority or council if you’re under 26 years’ old, which could include funding to buy essential items when moving into your own home
  • Higher education bursary of £2,000 for young care leavers, paid by councils in England or Wales, which may be as a lump sum or in instalments
  • Accommodation support over summer, with help from councils towards your rent – or for Scottish students, a grant from the Student Awards Agency Scotland
  • Scholarships or bursaries for care leavers, offered by unis and higher education providers
  • Charity grants towards household items or education costs, though these may only be made if you’ve tried all other options (check Buttle UK, the Rees Foundation, the Care Leavers' Foundation, and Capstone Care Leavers Trust in England and Wales)
  • Universities also have emergency funds for students facing financial hardship during their studies

You can find the details on student finance, including current year amounts, in our pages below. If you plan to study part-time, check the support you’ll get, as rules differ in each nation.

When applying for uni via UCAS, tick the box on the form that asks if you've been in care. You may worry about identifying yourself as a care leaver, but the information will be confidential. It may open up other support from your uni such as financial or practical help. 

Student In Bedroom Of Campus Accommodation

Most unis provide year-round accommodation for care leavers

According to Propel, many universities provide 365-day accommodation for care leavers. Check with your choice of university, or search via the Propel website to see which unis offer this.

The Unite Foundation Scholarship Scheme works in partnership with several universities to offer free, year-round student accommodation with no bills for three years of study. Targeted at care leavers and estranged students aged 25 and under who are taking their first degree, students may also get extra opportunities with Unite's sponsors such as work placements and mentoring.

Even if a uni doesn't say they offer year-round accommodation, don't be put off. They may still be able to offer support for holiday accommodation, so it’s worth asking. Speak to your local authority too – they have a duty to provide care leavers with vacation accommodation or financial assistance if you only have university accommodation during term time. 

If you'd prefer your own place, the university accommodation team may have a list of approved landlords. Some unis may be willing to act as a guarantor for accommodation. You’ll normally have to pay bills, such as electricity and gas.

Some students may want to remain in their care placement while they study. Several schemes across the UK now enable this: 

  • Staying Put (or Staying Close) in England
  • Going the Extra Mile in Northern Ireland
  • When I am Ready in Wales
  • Continuing Care in Scotland

However, there have been reports of care leavers sometimes being charged money for these placements, so check whether going into higher education will cause any issues. If you have any concerns, it’s worth getting in touch with support charities such as Who Cares Scotland, or Propel.

University support for care leavers

Unis offer lots of support to guide you through your application and help you settle into uni life. Support may be open to anyone who is care experienced, not just those defined as care leavers. Most uni websites give details of care leaver support, which could include:

  • A named contact or champion to support care leavers or care experienced students
  • Taster days or support to visit or attend an open day
  • Pre-entry transition events or early registration, so you can settle in before courses start
  • Buddy schemes linking you with current students, or mentoring

Some unis may have student ambassadors who are care leavers, giving you the chance to talk to people from similar circumstances about their experience at uni. Paid work as a student ambassador when you’re at uni could also help you financially, offering flexible employment to fit around your studies.

There may also be other general support for students, such as:

  • Money advice teams to help students gain skills in budgeting
  • Wellbeing and mental health services like short -term counselling, wellbeing workshops and mental health advisers
  • Childcare nurseries for children aged up to five years old
  • Learning support to help students with study skills
  • Social support from Students’ Union events, clubs and societies
  • Many Students' Unions also have independent advice services

Support varies from one uni to another, see our university profiles to get an idea of what’s available.

Unis can be flexible about your entry grades, too. If you tick the box identifying yourself as a care leaver on your UCAS application, unis may offer lower entry requirements to take account of the extra difficulties you may have faced. Since 2020, Scottish universities have guaranteed an undergraduate place to care leavers meeting minimum course entry requirements, and similar flexibility is available at most higher education providers.

Extra support is available

Propel 

The Propel website enables you to directly compare what’s on offer for care leavers at different universities and colleges. It’s run by the Become Trust, the charity for children in care and young care leavers.

Stand Alone

Stand Alone can offer advice and online support groups for people estranged from their parents, who may not meet the formal definition of a care leaver.

Buttle UK

Buttle UK offers financial support to young people who receive no support from their parents or guardians.

Mentoring

In England, there's mentoring for care leavers via Brightside, which can include supporting students applying to college or university.

School staff

If you’re still at school, your teachers, personal tutors and careers advisors should support you with deciding whether going to university or college is right for you.

Help before you go to uni

Other help for care leavers before going to university may include:

  • Assistance with travel to university interviews and open days
  • If you are in further education in England, the 16–19 Bursary Fund can help towards the cost
  • University summer schools can give a great introduction to university life and demystify the process of applying to uni. More information can be found on individual institution websites

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