The University of Kent is committed to supporting students who face barriers to accessing Higher Education. We believe that anyone who has the academic ability to study at university should have the opportunity to do so. Amongst the audiences that we prioritize in our outreach and widening participation work are care experienced students, and work for this group forms a key commitment within our Access and Participation Plan. We also have ongoing support for students once they are registered at University of Kent.
Pre-registration support
We can answer any queries students or supporters have about the University, and can also make arrangements for them to visit if they would like to have a look around before term starts.
We will contact all students who have ticked the care-experienced box on their UCAS form informing them of the support available. The University will only share this information with those who need to be informed, e.g. the member of staff who supports care leavers post-registration.
Students can request a meeting with the care leaver support staff and your Personal Advisor before you start at the University, or at any time during your degree, to ensure you are receiving all the support that would be helpful for you.
We also have Insight visits for students in Year 11 and above to visit either our Canterbury or Medway campus. They will meet with the Pre-registration Designated Member of Staff and have the opportunity to ask questions about support available at university, accommodation, student finance etc. There will be an opportunity to go on a tour of the campus with a Student Ambassador, who can give insights into university life. Each Insights Visit is bespoke, and requests to see or find out particular things can be discussed.
To speak to Shauna-Aine O'Brien, our pre-registration Designated Member of Staff, please email: [email protected] to find out more about any of these opportunities, or to ask any questions.
On-course support
We have a dedicated member of staff in our Wellbeing Team whose role is to provide both practical and emotional support to all care-experienced students. She can help with any questions students might have about any aspect of being at university, including:
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Accommodation
- Financial Support
- Learning Support
The member of staff for care-experienced students can make contact with a PA on a students' behalf if they would like them to, and can also attend meetings with students and their PAs if they visit you at the university.
The team are here to offer support at key moments in a students' university journey, including registering and moving into accommodation, and welcome week.
Please contact Rachel Levy, [email protected] for more information about on-course support
Finance
University of Kent offers a one-off cash bursary to care-experienced students in their first year at Kent, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.
They should also be entitled to the Kent Financial Support Package – the amount is subject to change but is usually between £1,000 and £1,500 at each stage of a students' course (starting from stage 1), and is paid in two instalments, in December and March.
Completing university
We may be able to help with graduation costs. Students will be contacted directly regarding this when they are approaching graduation.
To find out about current opportunities, and to see the full range of support available at University of Kent, please visit our web page: Support for Care Experienced Students at University of Kent - The Guide