Many care leavers go on to Higher Education, including University.
This is a chance to study a subject that you care about and are good at. You'll meet new people and try interesting and different activities. You'll also have greater choice of jobs and careers when you qualify. Do your research and get advice - it could be the right thing for you!
If you are at college you will need to apply during the Autumn term before the start of your course.
You can apply for most full time higher education courses through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
You can also use sites like UCAS and Unistats to gather more general information about higher education courses, entry requirements and how to apply.
All students starting in full time higher education before August 2016 can apply for a loan and maintenance grant towards tuition fees and living costs. You have to pay back the loan but not the grant. (From August 2016 students will no longer be able to apply for a maintenance grant.) If you’ve been in care with Dudley Council, you can also apply for a one-off bursary of £2,000 from the Council - ask your social worker or YPA to help you with this.
On top of any student finance received, students can often apply for money directly from their university or college or from a private sponsor or charity.
Each university or college has their own rules about bursaries, scholarships and awards, eg:
who qualifies
how much you can get
how to apply
You get your bursary directly from your university or college. Bursaries are like grants and don’t have to be paid back.
Talk to the university or college student support service to find out what’s available and how to apply. Some universities will have bursaries specifically for care leavers so it's worth asking the question.
Some organisations or charitable trusts will sponsor young people at University. This means that they could pay your fees, or make a contribution towards them. They may pay bursaries for certain students or offer employment based around your studying. More information is available from:
