The UniCares team provide financial, pastoral, and educational support for students who have spent time in local authority care, from application stage, through to graduation and searching for employment.
City St George's, University of London is committed to supporting those who are, or have been, in the care of a local authority. We recognise that being a student with little or no family support may mean that you often face additional challenges whilst at university and we are committed to guiding you so that you can make the most of your time here.
To get in touch with the UniCares team, please fill out this form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
Who is a care-experienced student?
The term care leaver refers to a young person under the age of 25 who is currently, or has previously been, in local authority care such as foster care, semi-independent living or a residential care home for a minimum of three months since the age of 14 and on or after their 16th birthday.
If you don't meet the definition of a care leaver but have spent any amount of time in local authority care and are under 25 at the start of your course, then you are care-experienced and can still access support. Types of care-experience include fostering, kinship care, and residential care.
Evidence
To register with the UniCares programme as a care leaver or care-experienced student, you will need to provide a signed letter on headed paper from a relevant professional in the local authority by which they were looked after. If you do not have a Personal Advisor or Social Worker, you should contact the Duty Social Worker within the local authority where you first spent time in care.
Pre-entry support
City St George's offers pre-entry advice and guidance through the Widening Participation Outreach team. There are a range of events and activities on offer for students thinking about university as well as for those who would like more support in preparing them for university.
As a care-experienced student, you are guaranteed access to pre-entry support such as application advice, pre-induction events and Taster Weeks and UniFocus Days. Please email the wpteam@citystgeorges.ac.uk to find out more.
We encourage Virtual Schools and Local Authorities to get in contact with the Widening Participation Outreach team to organise bespoke visit days for the young people in their care. To do so please email wpteam@citystgeorges.ac.uk.
We have a contextual admissions scheme which is designed to support eligible students, including those who are care leavers or care-experienced, to enter the university. It offers an alternative grade offer as well as access to pre-application and post-application support.
We strongly encourage applicants to 'Tick the box' on their UCAS application. This will inform your chosen universities and give you access to the support available.
Accommodation
As a care-experienced student, you are prioritised for City St George's student accommodation throughout your undergraduate degree provided you have City St George's as your firm choice by the UCAS deadline. We work closely with City's Accommodation Advisers to ensure you are allocated accommodation that best meets your needs, including out of term time.
We will support you to secure 365-day accommodation where available.
Please note that we are unable to provide a guarantor scheme, however, we are happy to provide advice and guidance in this regard.
Most landlords, including student halls, will require a third person to act as a 'guarantor' before a tenancy agreement can be completed. This person is usually a family member who agrees to pay the rent in case of a shortfall from the tenant and they might be liable to other costs that might incur during the tenancy.
We are aware of some organisations that offer guarantor services to students: Housing Hand, and RentGuarantor. We are aware of these companies but please understand that we do not endorse them.
Financial Support
Care leavers and care-experienced students at City St George's may be eligible to the financial support listed below.
- The Care-Experienced and Estranged Student Bursary: eligible students may receive a grant of £2,500 for each progressive year of study.
- The University Hardship Fund: students who find themselves in financial hardship can apply for the Hardship Fund. Care-experienced students are eligible for the priority rate.
- Graduation Support Package: students registered with the UniCares programme may be eligible for a financial package to aid with graduation costs and life after City St George's.
On-course support
By registering with the UniCares programme, you will have access to a Designated Member of Staff to support you throughout your time at City St George's by being your first point of contact. You may also access an extensive array of support services for which you will be prioritised. Some support may be campus-specific for the academic year 2026/27.
- All care-experienced students receive priority access for Student Health and Wellbeing services.
- All students at City St George's are allocated a Personal Tutor from their academic faculty to support thir personal and professional development.
- City St George's offers extensive career support through the Careers and Employability team. This includes 1-2-1 appointments with Careers Consultants, workshops, and an array of different online resources.
- Access to CourseBuddies peer mentoring: First year undergraduate care-experienced students are prioritised when being paired with a second- or third-year student from the same course (where possible) to help with settling into student life.
- Free annual membership to CitySport.
Further support at Clerkenwell and Moorgate campuses
- Access to Careers Ahead which offers tailored support for disabled and neurodivergent students, students with specific personal and family situations, and those who are experiencing mental health challenges.
- Access to learning support which includes workshops and 1-1 sessions to make sure that you're getting the most out of your studies.
- Second- and third-year undergraduate care-experienced students will be guaranteed an interview and given priority for the professional mentoring scheme, an opportunity to receive mentoring with a person in industry.
Further support at Tooting campus
- Academic Success Centre team provide one-to-one support with a range of study issues, including effective study strategies, writing academic assignments and English language help. They offer appointments in person and online.
Contact Us
Get in touch with the UniCares team by filling out this form. A member of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
Accreditations and Awards
City St George's, University of London is a signatory of the Care Leaver Covenant, showcasing our commitment to improving outcomes and creating opportunities for care leavers.
We are proud recipients of the NNECL Quality Mark, an accreditation demonstrating our dedication to supporting care-experienced students.
We have also received the NEON Widening Access Initiative (Retention and Progression) Award in 2022.
Useful resources
Further support is available from charities, government, local authorities and other organisations:
- UCAS – Comprehensive information on applying for finance as a care leaver.
- Become – Offers support, advice and help to young people in care and care leavers.
- Propel – As part of Become, this information portal provides useful resources about applying to Higher Education institutions, different courses available and financial support.
- Care Leaver Offer – Tool to check local authorities and the support offered for young people leaving their care.
- Coram Voice – Coram Voice offers free advocacy for those who are in care or leaving care.
- The Catch 22 National Care Advisory Service (NCAS) – supports care experienced children and care leavers through their national network.
- The Care Leavers' Association – Provides advice, guidance and support to enable care leavers to thrive.
- The Rees Foundation – Aids young people and adults who are care experienced by providing financial assistance, a support network and mentoring opportunities.