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Care Leavers: What support we offer, University Centre Leeds

BlogCare Leavers: What support we offer, University Centre Leeds

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At University Centre Leeds (UC Leeds), we understand that young people leaving the care system may face challenges and have different concerns about starting a degree compared to other students. We are committed to providing bespoke support throughout every stage of the student journey, from application and finance to accommodation, enrolment and beyond.

What do we mean by ‘care experienced’?

University Centre Leeds defines a care experienced person as someone aged under 25 who has 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.

Support before you apply

We offer tailored pre-entry support through a named contact who can help you explore your options and guide you through the UCAS application process. We can provide:

  • Personalised campus tours for you and your personal adviser or foster family
  • One-to-one application support
  • Contextual admissions (we may consider applications with alternative entry requirements)
  • Access to our Widening Participation Mentoring Scheme

UC Leeds Care Experienced and Estranged Students’ Guide includes helpful tips and information to support your higher education journey.

To find out more, contact laura.macgregor@luminate.ac.uk

Financial support

To help support new students leaving care to start full-time higher education at University Centre Leeds, we offer the following financial support:

  • A £1,000 Care Experienced Student Bursary for each year of study
  • Assistance with travel costs for campus visits and or/course materials
  • Help covering up to 50% of graduation gown hire and photography costs

Accommodation

We offer guaranteed year-round accommodation (365 days where required) for care experienced students in Leeds city centre. To further reduce barriers, we have removed the requirement for a guarantor. Learn more about accommodation options such as Joseph Stones House on our website.

Wellbeing support

Our dedicated contact for care experienced students will stay in touch and offer guidance throughout your time with us. Our Student Support team provides access to:

  • Counselling services
  • Mental health support
  • Wellbeing workshops

These resources are designed with care experienced students in mind, ensuring a holistic and supportive university experience.

Academic support

Every student at UC Leeds is assigned a personal tutor. In addition to this, each curriculum department has support staff to help with any academic or personal challenges. Our teams can signpost you to additional learning resources and help ensure you get the support you need.

Other sources of support

The below organisations also offer information and support that may be useful to care experienced students applying to university:

  • Become – a national charity offering advice and advocacy for young people in care.
  • Propel – an online resources to research support offered by different universities and colleges, including financial and accommodation support, student case studies, and application advice.
  • NNECL (National Network for the Education of Care Leavers) – offers online resources tailored for care experienced students.
  • Care Leavers’ Covenant – supports young care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently offering access to education, employment opportunities, discounts, and advice.
  • UCAS – a dedicated webpage with information and advice for care experienced students, including guidance on how to find out what support a particular university might be able to offer you.

Our commitment

We’re committed to ensuring that students get the support they need at each stage of their journey.  Our team are able to understand the often complex requirements that students may have if they are care experienced through training and we are actively involved in nationwide networks to improve opportunities for care experienced young people, this includes:

Contact us

If you have any questions about applying or visiting us, get in touch with our named contact

Laura Macgregor, Widening Participation & Outreach Manager, at laura.macgregor@luminate.ac.uk

For further information please visit our dedicated webpage Support for Care Experienced Students