links
All of the pages on this website will have relevant information for you if you’re a care-experienced person in Wales considering university.
Below, we’ve added some specific information based on your circumstances.
General Info
Sophia Alexandra Hall on Twitter
Zara Clench on Twitter
Uni Connect Programme – Students’ voices: https://youtu.be/8VF3l8zLU_4
Become: https://www.becomecharity.org.uk/care-the-facts/being-a-care-leaver/
The Care Leavers’ Association: https://www.careleavers.com/
The Rees Foundation: https://www.reesfoundation.org/
Voices from Care Cymru: https://vfcc.org.uk/getting-ready-cares/
NYAS: https://www.nyas.net/get-support/support-for-young-people/care-leaver-support/
Care Leaver Offer (currently England only, expanding to Wales soon): https://www.careleaveroffer.co.uk/
Pathway Plans: https://sheltercymru.org.uk/get-advice/advice-for-young-people/care-leavers/
The Fostering Network’s Thrive magazine:
When I’m Ready:
https://www.whenimready.co.uk/
https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/policy-practice/practice-information/when-I-am-ready
https://www.exchangewales.org/the-when-im-ready-scheme-in-wales/
Care Leavers Association: https://www.careleavers.com/
AdvoCat (help with accessing an advocate): https://coramvoice.org.uk/get-help/advocat-2/
Support and Advice for care experienced people thinking about university
The Complete University Guide: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/applying-to-uni/applying-to-university-as-a-care-leaver
Future Focus’ Care Leavers’ Guide to HE: https://www.thefuturefocus.co.uk/media/hclbe5ap/care-leaver-guide-v2.pdf
Propel (for details of individual universities’ support for care-experienced students): https://becomecharity.org.uk/get-support/propel/
Become’s advice on FE and HE: https://becomecharity.org.uk/get-information/higher-and-further-education/
Uni4Me: https://uni4me.co.uk/
UCAS advice on making choices: https://www.ucas.com/connect/blogs/key-things-care-experienced-students-consider-when-choosing-university-or-college
Care-experienced and an asylum seeker or refugee? Check out Student Action for Refugees (STAR): https://star-network.org.uk/
Welsh Government: https://gov.wales/why-choose-higher-education
The Uni Guide: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/
Student Advice from The Complete University Guide: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice
The Complete University Guide’s ‘choosing a university’ checklist: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/final-choice/choosing-a-university-checklist
The Student Room (includes forums with lots of advice from current students): https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/apply/
Discover Uni: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/
Discover Uni’s guide to HE choices: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/9d8b99b1-6caf-4ab9-9031-7425fe43dfdd/discover-uni-students-booklet-2022.pdf
First Campus (South East Wales): https://www.firstcampus.org/
Reaching Wider (North and Mid Wales): http://www.reachingwider.ac.uk/
Reaching Wider (South West Wales): https://www.swansea.ac.uk/reaching-wider/
Applying to Uni
Student Finance Wales: https://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/
Welsh Government: https://gov.wales/dont-let-money-get-in-the-way-of-university
Unite Foundation Scholarships (Available for care-experienced and estranged students from the UK who want to study at specific universities in England and Scotland) https://thisisusatuni.org/
Discover Uni’s finance guide for Wales: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/how-will-i-pay-for-it/how-will-i-pay-wales/
Propel (search any UK university for an overview of the support they offer to care-experienced students): https://propel.org.uk/UK/
Aberystwyth University: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/study-with-us/srwp/care-experienced/
University of Bangor: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/studentservices/moneyadvice/care.php.en
Cardiff University: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/student-life/student-support/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/care-leavers
Cardiff Metropolitan University: https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/study/studentservices/finance/Pages/care-leavers.aspx
University of South Wales: https://www.southwales.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/undergraduate/care-leaver-support/
https://www.southwales.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/undergraduate/estranged-student-support/
Swansea University: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/campuslife/participation-campuslife/being-a-care-leaver/
Trinity St David’s University: https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/bursaries/undergraduate/
Wrexham Glyndwr University: https://glyndwr.ac.uk/student-support/wellbeing/
Local authority support – contact your individual local authority as support is varied.
Transition into Uni
Advice from What Uni: https://www.whatuni.com/advice/sixth-form-life/should-you-go-on-a-gap-year-before-uni/38128/
Advice from UCAS: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/student-life/gap-year/gap-years-ideas-and-things-think-about
Volunteering Wales: https://volunteering-wales.net/
See University Support for links to relevant teams in Welsh universities – they can help you if your plans change
Save the Student’s Checklists: https://www.savethestudent.org/accommodation/what-to-take-to-university.html
Downloadable checklist: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10PZZ6OF78SOi5AEyrZBmsFLOvKXpHEgrWjzZVbcpl8s/edit
Discover Uni’s guide to preparing for uni: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/preparing-start-uni/
Open Learn (free resources from all of Wales’ universities to help you get started with higher education): https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/university-ready/?filter=date/grid/all/none/all/all/all/all
Advice from the Children’s Commissioner for England (this is also relevant to Wales!): https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2022/09/08/care-leavers-practical-guide-to-starting-university/
During Uni
Work experience with Go Wales: http://www.gowales.co.uk/main.html
Budgeting: https://www.savethestudent.org/money/student-budgeting/student-budgeting.html
After Uni
Get in touch with your designated contact
Prospects, for postgraduate careers: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/
Career Matters’ Thrive development programme: https://www.career-matters.org/career-matters-thrive-platform/
Postgraduate course on Prospects: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-courses
Supporting a care-experienced young person into university?
Much of the advice on the pages for care-experienced people will also apply to those who are supporting them, but there is also specific advice for carers, educators and other supportive adults here.
Advice from UCAS: https://www.ucas.com/advisers/toolkits/adviser-toolkit-supporting-students-individual-needs/supporting-care-experienced-students
Advice for Higher Education practitioners: https://www.ucas.com/providers/good-practice/emerging-cohorts/care-experienced-students
Resources from NNECL: https://www.nnecl.org/resources/category/2-3-higher-education
Advice for Foster Carers: https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/advice-information/looking-after-fostered-child/education
Training opportunities for professionals and carers: https://becomecharity.org.uk/professionals-and-carers/training/
Supporting care-experienced people into HE: https://www.thefuturefocus.co.uk/umbraco/surface/CMSResources/DownloadUserResource?Id=139&UserResourceId=59
Advice for HE staff on supporting care-experienced students with graduation: https://bettercarenetwork.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/Barriers-to-Graduation-FINAL-1.pdf
Advice for HE staff, from care-experienced students: https://hubforsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Be-curious-about-me-final-copy-2.pdf
General advice about uni for carers: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/parents-and-carers/
General advice about uni for teachers: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/teachers-and-advisers/