Care leavers support
Attending university is a big change, and we want to support you every step of the way. For care leavers we have support available before your first day, through to graduation and beyond.
What support is available for care leavers?
- £1000 per year bursary
- Year-round halls accommodation
- Pathway plan and careers advice
- £500 graduation bursary
- Waived advance fees
- Priority access to support
We offer a range of support, financial aid and services to help all students, with specialist support if you're a care leaver or care experienced.
Who is considered to be a care leaver?
You're considered to be a care leaver if:
- You're under 25 when you begin your studies
- You were in the care of the local authority for at least 13 weeks
- You were in care on your 16th birthday.
If you currently don't meet this criteria, we may have support available for you too — it's possible you may be an estranged student.
You can find more support available for your individual needs and circumstances on our support page.
Care Leaver Covenant
The Care Leaver Covenant is a promise made by the University to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25 to help them move from local authority care to living independently.
Read about our commitmentContact us
Existing students can visit the Student Hub to find out more about the support we can provide and further contact details.
Dedicated Advisor
Talk to our dedicated Care Leaver Advisor Hannah Small, she’ll be happy to arrange a one-to-one appointment to talk through the support we offer Care Leavers.
Telephone: +44 (0)1772 893020
Confidential Admissions Advisor
Speak to one of our Admissions Officers, in confidence. They will give you more information if you need financial help to attend one of our taster sessions.
Phone: +44 (0)1772 892444
Former SU president Lee Mac tells his story
Our former Students' Union president Lee, left his foster home at 16, which led to him living in social housing, bedsits and local college accommodation.
“There was no support in place, no help to get education, support myself financially, or live day to day. There were times when I rifled through bins. I came to UCLan with 11p in my pocket but they supported me in different aspects of finance and settling in. They also showed me routes that I could take to help myself, such as the bursary funds. Without the support, I probably wouldn’t have stayed at university.
Currently, the University and Students' Union are working to make life better for Care Leavers in education. We are offering bursaries to Care Leavers and an inclusive support package helping students before they arrive, and once they are with us, allowing them to get involved with university life.
My advice for any Care Leaver would be to get involved with university and not to be afraid to ask for help – it makes you the person you want to be!”
Related support pages
Student support FAQs
Find answers to common questions about library facilities; blackboard; timetables; our academic calendar and more. Answers cover topics from accessing emails and files from home to seeking specialist help.
Cost of living support hub
Studying is one of the biggest investments you can make towards your future. We're here to make the fees and finance side of university as easy as possible to understand.
Estranged students support
Choosing to go university can be a huge change. For our estranged students, we want to make the transition to university life as easy as possible.