1. The Basics

A person sitting looking confused at a desk. Lines of text around read "who are EaCES?", "What help is out there?!!", "What does it all mean??", "Am I an EaCES?" , and "I'm just trying to complete my UCAS application..."

Graphic designed by Kez Rebekah on behalf of EaCES 2023.

If you feel a bit like the graphic on the left - you are not the alone! I think that most Estranged and Care Experienced Students (EaCES) felt like that at the start of their journey to more education. That is why this handbook is here to share tips and knowledge to help guide you through your Higher Education (HE) or Further Education (FE) journey from UCAS to post University/College or apprenticeship plans.


This is the first section of our handbook and is designed to be a starting point to understanding education from the position of a Estranged and Care Experienced student.

Personal experience

I had never heard the term "estranged" until I started my UCAS application and I had to google it to see what it meant (I had been estranged for over 3 years at that point).