Support for care experience applicants

Only 6% of young people who are in care aged 16 continue into higher education by the age of 19 (Department of Education). People who have spent time in local authority care can face significant barriers to entering higher education. This can include lower attainment, lack of positive role models, low expectations from carers and advisers, low aspirations, concerns about being able to afford higher education, lack of information and advice prior to and at the point of application to university, problems with accommodation, low levels of personal and emotional support from professionals, lack of personal support networks, low levels of confidence to self-identify and ask for support pro-actively. Care leavers are therefore a severely under-represented group and improving access for care leavers remains a priority.

The University has a Corporate Parenting responsibility and our plans within this area are laid out within our Corporate Parenting Strategy. We provide advice and guidance to help care experienced students through the application process and support once they join University.

The University aims to make an offer of a place to any care experienced applicant who meets the minimum entry requirements (or is predicted to do so) for the course to which they have applied, where this is possible.

Prospective students and offer holders who identify themselves as having been in care on their UCAS application form are put in touch with the named contact and provided with support throughout the admissions process as well as with information on the comprehensive support package available at the University of Edinburgh.

Students are eligible for this support if they’ve been in local authority care in the UK and are under 26 on the first day of the academic year in which their degree begins (1 August for most students).