How can we help?
Search our Applying to study – care experience frequently asked questions.
Where can I get more advice if I've not decided whether to give information about my care experience?
Before you decide, read this article on the UCAS blog.
It can be really helpful to talk to other students about their experiences when you are making your application. Some care experienced students shared their experiences of going to university or college with us:
Where can I get more information about going to university or college from care?
- Find out more about applying to higher education if you are care experienced.
- Become’s Propel website can help you research the support available at different universities and colleges, and there is lots of information about going to university from care.
- In Scotland, visit the Who Cares? Scotland website for more information about your rights and entitlements.
- Directly contact student support services at the university or college you are interested in – here is a list of the points of contact for care experienced students at universities around the UK. They will be able to tell you more and make sure you have all the information you need. They will usually include this information on their website too.
I have never been in care but my relationship with my parents has broken down and I have left home
If your relationship with your parents has broken down but you have not been in local authority care, you may be considered ‘estranged’ from your family.
Read more about applying to university as an estranged student.
Does living at boarding school count as being in care?
Is there an age limit for the care experience question?
No, applicants of any age can tell the course provider about their care experience.
How is information about care experience used?
Telling the university or college that you are care experienced can help admissions staff consider your achievements in context. They may also get in touch with you to share more details about the support they offer.
Your information may be used (anonymously) for monitoring purposes. This helps the university to inform and improve the support they provide to other care experienced students in the future.
The information you share with UCAS is kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
What are minimum entry requirements in Scotland and how might they affect me?
Scottish universities and colleges have two sets of entry requirements: standard and minimum.
Both reflect the grades you normally need to achieve by the time you start the course. However, the minimum entry requirements only apply if you are considered to be a ‘widening access’ student – including students with care experience. This means that you are guaranteed a place if you are care experienced and meet the minimum entry requirements.
Why would a university want to know if I am care experienced?
Growing up in care means you are entitled to a range of practical support, if you want it. This might be support during your application (e.g. events to help you with your transition to university), financial assistance, year-round accommodation, or help with managing your health and wellbeing.
When you give this information, you're letting the university know that you may need additional support during your studies. They may get in touch to tell you more about the benefits and options open to you – you can then decide if you’d like to access these forms of support.
Knowing about your circumstances may also help admissions staff consider your achievements in context. This is called ‘contextualised admissions’, and the aim is to form a more complete picture of you as an individual and identify applicants who have the potential to succeed, even if their personal circumstances have affected their attainment (e.g. exam grades).
It will not reflect negatively on your application, and some universities and colleges may make you a ‘contextual offer,’ which is typically lower than the standard entry requirements. In Scotland, you're guaranteed a place at university if you are care experienced and meet the minimum entry requirements.
Please note, the availability and level of support will vary between institutions, and not all students will be eligible for support at every university or college. As such, we strongly recommend you contact the university or college as early as possible to discuss any support needs you may have – however small or major they may seem – and to find out what support is available. They will support you to make a smooth transition to university and succeed in your ongoing studies, in a way that works for you.
Here's a list of the points of contact for care experienced students at universities around the UK.
What do you mean by ‘looked after at home’?
If you have been ‘looked after at home’ you will probably have lived with your parents and had a supervision order. This usually involves regular visits from a social worker.
What is ‘kinship care’?
If you live full-time with relatives or friends who are not your parents, then you are considered to be living in kinship care. This could be family members such as your grandparent, a sibling, or an aunt or uncle. It could also be a neighbour, a godparent, or a family friend. This may have been the result of an informal arrangement with your parents, or a formal process through the local authority (e.g. under a Guardianship Order). Sometimes it is called ‘family and friends care’ or ‘connected persons care’.
What does ‘being in care’ mean?
This means you have spent time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally (without local authority support).
You can find a full list of the different types of care experience on Become’s website.
If you are in Scotland, read more on the Scottish Government website.