Students taking part in written activity around a table

Care leavers

Explore the extra support you're entitled to at the University of Birmingham. This includes accommodation and financial support, alternative offer opportunities, and help with transitioning from school/college as well as once you're with us.

Deciding to study at university is a big step for anybody. You will be entering a world of new opportunities, new friends, and new ways of thinking. At the University of Birmingham, we offer the highest quality academic experience within a supportive environment. But if you are leaving care to come to university we believe that you deserve a little extra support to help you make the right choices, and get the financial help and assistance you’re entitled to. Meaning you can settle in quickly to be able to focus on your studies and enjoy your student experience.

Our commitment to you

We have been working hard with our current care-experienced students to create a support system that best reflects the requirements. We are a university committed to supporting all students who have had any experience of care and, since 2020, we have been a signatory of Care Leavers' Covenant, a national inclusion programme that supports care levers aged 16-25 to live independently.

In December 2022, we were also awarded the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) Quality Mark.

Logo for the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers

We are proud to provide support to all the students whose circumstances are reflected below.

We define a care leaver as a young person over the age of 16 who has been in care of the local authority and/or Health and Social Care Trust for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14.

We define a care experience student as an individual who has been in care at any stage in their life, no matter how short a period.

When making your application to any university, we strongly recommend that you tick the box on your UCAS application. This will help identify you to the relevant staff who will then send you information about the support they can offer.

Support for care experienced students

Support for care leavers  

As a Care Leaver, you will receive everything listed in the above Support for care experienced students section. We also offer this support:

Support from other parties

  • Download the Inspire Me! App for inspiring stories for care leavers by care leavers.
  • Propel is a website designed to provide support and information to care leavers who want to enter Higher Education.
  • Access Estranged and Care Experienced Students (EaCES) Handbook. A virtual guide written by estranged and care experienced students to bring together information and advice to help other students from the same background.
  • Check your Pathway Plan with your Leaving Care Worker. Some local authorities provide a one-off £2,000 Higher Education Bursary to care leavers who started their course before their 25th birthday and does not need to be repaid.
  • You can now search for support offered by individual local authorities at Care Leaver Local Offer.
  • Coram Voice will help you get your voice heard, tell you about your rights, and give you support such as access to a social worker.
  • The Rees Foundation are a lifelong support network that offers help and advice to care experienced individuals about any concern. They also run several projects to celebrate any personal and professional achievements.

Contact us

Alice McGowan is the single point of contact for all pre-entry enquiries. Please email a.v.mcgowan@bham.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Drawing of a carer with an arm around a child
Watch our video about the support we offer to care leavers