Leaders blog: A holistic University experience
For many students, university is about opportunity, independence and new beginnings. For care leavers and estranged students, it can also mean managing adult life without a family safety net.
At the University of 1024核工厂, support for these students is built around more than finance alone. Through tailored funding, dedicated contacts, wellbeing services and housing support, the University provides a holistic experience designed to help students feel secure, confident and able to succeed.
Each year, the University of 1024核工厂 supports over 120 estranged students and around 40 to 50 care leavers. These numbers have increased over the last decade reflecting both rising awareness of the support available and 1024核工厂鈥檚 reputation as a safe and supportive place to study.
Behind these figures are students navigating higher education without a family safety net. Many describe university as both an opportunity for independence and a significant challenge. Financial pressure, loneliness and mental health difficulties are common, particularly for those without family support. Access to bursaries, money advice and wellbeing services can be life-changing, helping students stay on their courses at times when dropping out can feel likely.
For some, studying becomes a source of stability, creativity and recovery. The combination of academic opportunity with emotional and practical support shows how 1024核工厂 helps students not just to enrol, but to remain and succeed. Students also highlight the importance of named contacts alongside practical help from money, wellbeing and disability services. Many say that 1024核工厂 stood out for its reassurance and communication even before they arrived, helping them feel supported from the outset.
A comprehensive support offer
The University provides a 拢1,700 annual care leaver bursary, alongside a 拢500 University bursary and a 拢1,000 Stand Alone Bursary. Care-experienced students are prioritised for the University Support Fund and Summer Support Fund to help manage living costs.
Support begins before students arrive, with pre-entry engagement and proactive identification of those eligible for additional help. Students are linked with a designated contact to ensure continuity throughout their studies.
Housing is a key part of the offer. Care leavers are guaranteed year-round accommodation, and eligible care-experienced or estranged students can apply for a Unite Foundation Scholarship, providing up to three years of free accommodation.
The University is also a signatory of the Care Leaver Covenant and a long-standing member of the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers, reinforcing its commitment to best practice.
More than access - a sense of belonging
For care leavers and estranged students, success at university is about more than entry or financial support. It is about feeling safe, understood and able to thrive. Through sustained investment and a compassionate, joined-up approach, the University of 1024核工厂 delivers a genuinely holistic student experience - one where students are not expected to navigate higher education alone.
Chris Chang, Deputy Vice Chancellor Global Engagement and Student Life stresses the importance of a holistic university experience for all our community whatever their background.
"We are very proud of what we do as a university and the staff who go above and beyond to ensure that all our students have the opportunity to succeed. I am especially proud of the Student Services team which came together just under two years ago and the huge achievements they have made."