Financial Support for Care Leavers & Estranged Students

The University offers a generous package of financial support to help you through your time at University.

Undergraduate Students

Postgraduate Students

Care leavers and students estranged from their parents who meet the required criteria, will be eligible for a £2,000 bursary payable in November and June.

This bursary is paid in two equal instalments and is available for the duration of their first undergraduate course providing their circumstances remain unchanged.

Further information on the support available for care leavers and estranged students can be found here .

To be eligible for the undergraduate Care Leaver and Estranged Student bursary you must be:

Criteria

on your first undergraduate degree course
classed as a full-time and enrolled UK student

and either

have 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

or

are under 25, and estranged from your parents as assessed by Student Finance prior to starting your course, or are later assessed as an estranged student by Student Finance during your studies.

Students leaving the care of their Local Authority are typically classed as independent by Student Finance England and are therefore usually entitled to the full university bursary providing they meet the relevant eligibility criteria.

Students are also entitled to additional support in the form of:

a designated point of contact to provide information and advice
an extended halls contract that provides access to 365 days of accommodation

If you have indicated on your UCAS application that you’re a care leaver, the Student Inclusion team will contact you once you’ve enrolled to advise on how to claim your bursary. If you haven’t included this information on your application, or have been assessed as an estranged student by Student Finance, please contact us at studentinclusion@soton.ac.uk for further information.

Care leavers and students estranged from their parents who meet the required criteria, could be eligible for a £2,000 bursary payable in November and June.

Payment will only be made for the first year of a postgraduate course.

Criteria

To be eligible for the postgraduate Care Leaver and Estranged Student bursary you must be:

on your first postgraduate degree course
classed as a full-time and enrolled UK student

and either

have 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

or

under 25 and normally permanently estranged from your parents prior to starting your postgraduate course. You must also be able to provide suitable evidence of being assessed as an estranged student by Student Finance in the final year of your previous undergraduate degree course.

If you believe that you’re eligible for this support package or wish to find out more, please visit the Student Inclusion website for further information.