A care leaver is usually someone who was in the care of their local authority for 13 weeks or more, around their 16th birthday.

A care-experienced student is anyone who has spent any time in care at any point in their life.
This includes care leavers and those who aren’t officially classed as care leavers.

At the University of Wolverhampton, we offer support to all students with care experience, no matter how long they were in care or when it happened.

The University is delighted to be a founder member of the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL)

The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) is a registered charity working to improve educational outcomes for young people with care experience. NNECL partners with colleges, universities, and local authorities across the UK to support care-experienced and estranged students into and through further and higher education. With a network of over 100 organisations and 800 professionals, NNECL helps more than 5,000 learners each year. Their Quality Mark recognises institutions that actively support the inclusion and success of care-experienced and estranged students. NNECL’s vision is for all learners with care experience to be empowered to reach their full potential in education and beyond.

At the University of Wolverhampton, we offer a wide range of support for students who are care-experienced. This includes financial help through our Care Experienced Bursary, paid opportunities as a Student Ambassador, and accommodation support such as year-round contracts, scholarships, and help with guarantors. We also provide emotional and wellbeing support, including 1-to-1 meetings with our team and group events to help you connect with other care-experienced students.

WHAT IS THE CARE LEAVER COVENANT?

The Covenant is a promise made by private, public or voluntary organisations to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25 to help them to live independently.

In July 2016, the Government published ‘Keep on Caring’ to support young people from care to independence. A key policy commitment in the paper is a strategic pledge to introduce a Care Leaver Covenant.

Find out more about what the Covenant could mean for you by having a look at their website at www.mycovenant.org.uk and you can also read our commitment to be part of the extended network who are supporting care leavers in England at https://mycovenant.org.uk/signatories/university-of-wolverhampton/. 

Understanding Estrangement and Student Finance

If you are estranged from your parents, this means you have no contact with either biological or adoptive parent due to a permanent breakdown in your relationship. For Student Finance purposes, this is referred to as irreconcilable estrangement, and you may be able to apply as an independent student, meaning your funding won’t be assessed based on parental income.

You are usually considered estranged if you’ve had no contact for at least 12 months before your application. However, Student Finance England understands that every situation is different and will assess your application on a case-by-case basis, based on the evidence you provide.

If you’ve recently become estranged—either during your studies or while applying to university—or you’re unsure how to begin the process, we’re here to help. You can speak to our named contact, Donna-Louise Harvey, Head of Operational Safeguarding (Students) and Institutional Lead for Care Experienced and Estranged Students. Donna can support you throughout your journey and act as a third-party contact for Student Finance if needed.

You can also find useful information at: Financial support for students not supported by their parents (estranged) | UCAS.

To receive any/all support you may be eligible to receive from the university you do need to register every year.  Registrations open from September each year.

Just complete the 📝 Care Experienced / Estranged Student Registration Form which is linked at the bottom of this webpage.

Important: You’ll need to be logged into your Microsoft 365 account using your university email and IT password to access the form.

Bursary information:

If you are eligible for a bursary, please note:

• It is a fixed amount for the year.
• Payments are made on the 1st working day of December, May, or July.
• Payment depends on your registration date and engagement with your studies.

To clarify:

• The Hardship Fund is not the same as the bursary.
• The Hardship Fund will open in November.
• The bursary is separate and has different rules.

To get the bursary, you must (re-)register by filling out the form each year of study.