Care Experienced and Estranged Students

University:


There is a wide variety of support available to Care experienced students. What sort of support you are eligible for will depend on the university you choose to attend and your local authority. 



Financial support. 

As well as applying for a standard Student loan through Student Finance you may also be entitled to further support through a Higher Education Bursary (you don’t have to pay this back). For more information on this and to find out if you are eligible you should contact your local authority (this will often be detailed in your Pathway Plan (if you are a ‘looked after child’) which should detail everything you need to succeed, stay on track and achieve your career goals, including a financial statement of what you may be entitled to.


You may also be eligible to receive financial support through your university i.e. in the form of a bursary. Most universities will have information on this on their website or a number you can contact to find out more. You can also look for this information using the Propel website (this acts as a directory of support different universities offer to care experienced students). 


Additionally some charities also offer financial support to care experienced students i.e. Unite Foundation, Buttle Uk and the Care Leavers Foundation.  


Some universities may also offer help with accommodation such as free or discounted accommodation.



Well being Support: 

Many Universities offer additional support to care experienced students to help apply and settle into their time at university. 


Many will provide information on what this is via their websites, but examples of support might include things like: 


Propel is a great website to use to start your research into what support is available via different universities.