At the University of Southampton, we provide advice and offer support to care leavers from application to graduation. Going to university can be a daunting experience for many people and we understand that as someone who has experienced time in care, you may have different concerns to other students.
We're here to help you throughout your course, whether it’s just to have a chat about how you're feeling or to discuss any concerns you might have about your application, finances, accommodation or your studies.
At the University we define a care leaver as a young person who has been in local authority care, including supported accommodation schemes such as Foyers or under a Special Guardianship Order, for 3 months or more since the age of 14.
If you have been brought up by another relative or someone other than your parents through a formal arrangement such as private fostering, kinship foster care or a Special Guardianship Order, you are usually considered as living ‘in care’ and are typically eligible for support as a care leaver, depending on your circumstances.
If your kinship care is through a private or informal family arrangement and you’ve been brought up by another relative without the involvement of children’s services, you are not considered to be ‘in care’ but you may still be eligible for support as an estranged student, depending on your circumstances.
If you don’t feel like the above definitions are applicable to you but wish to discuss what other support might be available, please feel free to contact us.