Care leavers support

Welcome to higher education

Our Access and Widening Participation Team will come out to meet you or you can join us on campus in Preston. We’ll introduce you to higher education, explore ways to finance your studies, explain how to:

• Apply to university
• Write a personal statement
• Prepare for university interviews
• Discuss the dedicated support available to care leavers.

Careers and your future

Our Careers Team will help you come up with an action plan for the future, What courses are available to you, and what they could lead to?

The Careers Team can also help you secure part-time work while studying at university. They'll help out with CV and application writing and interview techniques. 

Student life

You can also get a flavour of student life before you start, join us for:

• Workshops, either on campus or within a vocational setting
• On-campus taster days
• Summer schools and residential activity

If you’re struggling to find the money to join us at these events, let us know and we'll be able to help. We have a number of financial support options available for our care leavers and estranged students.

Support

As a care leaver or estranged student you are entitled to priority access to our specialist support in areas such as finance, accommodation, disability, wellbeing, counselling, safety and mental health.

We can offer help with your pathway plan by contacting your social worker, or personal advisor if you request this. You'll also be able to access a specialist careers appointment to discuss your career options in the context of your life circumstances in a safe and supportive environment.

Our Careers Advisers have received specialist training to ensure they support our students according to their specific needs or circumstances. They can help you to explore your future options, whether that’s further study, a graduate level job, an internship, skills-development or even travelling. Look out for our specialist careers support sessions advertised throughout the year.

Finances

We understand that University can a big financial commitment. We have a number of bursaries available for our care leaver students, as well as plenty of guidance around the cost of living at university.

Care Leavers are entitled financial assistance worth £1000 per year through our bursary (subject to eligibility).

If you qualify for the £1000 Bursary, once you graduate, you'll be able to claim an additional Graduation Bursary worth £500.

Care Leavers who are studying on a Degree Apprenticeship can access a bursary worth £3000 for the duration of studies and is paid in instalments during Year 1.

Accommodation

If you choose to study with us, year-round halls accommodation is available for all our care leaver students. Let our Student Accommodation Service know you're leaving care and they'll guide you through your options and payment plans.

You're also entitled to immediate priority accommodation if you find yourself suddenly homeless.

Contracts are normally for 42 weeks, including the Christmas and Easter breaks. If you need accommodation for the whole year including the summer, this can be arranged.

To find out more about accommodation offerings across all our campuses, visit our accommodation page.

For any further questions regarding accommodation, you can submit an enquiry and our friendly team will get back to you.

Please note that if you are studying a degree apprenticeship with us, you won't have access to how accommodation facilities.

We understand that at different stages of your university life you may need different types of support and advice depending on your own individual needs. Our Student Support Team are here to help you throughout your studies and can be accessed when you need them.

You can find out more about the wide range of support our teams provide on our support pages.