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Our UniCares team provides financial, pastoral, and educational support to students under the age of 25, who have caring responsibilities, from application stage through to graduation and searching for employment.

We recognise that juggling caring responsibilities with studying can be challenging and is likely to place additional pressures on you. Caring responsibilities may have an impact on your financial situation, your own physical and mental health, your academic journey and your relationships.

We are committed to supporting you with difficulties you might have so that you can make the most of your time here. UniCares is a service that offers a range of support to help you navigate the ups and downs of your student journey from enrolment to graduation.

By receiving specific updates from the Designated Member of Staff on support available, especially amid the pandemic, UniCares has made life a little bit less stressful.

– Alexandra, young adult carer and BSc Sociology student

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 young adult carer?

Young adult carers are young people aged 16-25 who care, unpaid, for a family member, dependant or friend with a long-term illness or disability, mental health condition, is elderly or frail, or who misuses drugs or alcohol.

This does not apply to childcare unless the child has additional care needs as listed above.

Evidence

To register with the UniCares programme as a young adult carer, you will need to provide evidence regarding your caring responsibilities. This evidence will need to be a letter on headed paper or an email from one of the following, who can verify your status. We accept any of the following:

  • A letter from your local authority or your local carers service
  • A signed letter from your GP
  • A Carers’ Network letter
  • Carers’ card (a scan or clear photo)
  • A letter from your teacher or tutor (a school designated safeguarding lead will be accepted)
  • Evidence you receive(d) Carer's Allowance from the DWP.

If you are submitting a letter as evidence, please ensure that this includes:

  • A confirmation that the referee knows you to be a young adult carer
  • Brief details of your caring responsibilities (e.g. who you care for, the nature of the care provided...)
  • Explain the impact that caring responsibilities have had on your education and day-to-day life
  • Include contact details in case we need further information

If you do not have access to any of the above documents but are able to gather different pieces of evidence that can create a clear overview of your caring responsibilities, please do get in touch with UniCares.

Pre-entry support

City St George's offers pre-entry advice and guidance through the Widening Participation and 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 young adult carer, 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 have a contextual admissions scheme which is designed to support eligible students, including those who are young adult carers, 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 young adult carer, 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

Young adult carers at City St George’s may be eligible to the financial support listed below.

  • The Young Adult Carer Bursary: eligible students may receive a grant of £1,000 for each progressive year of study.
  • The University Hardship Fund: students who find themselves in financial hardship can apply for the Hardship Fund. Young adult carers 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 young adult carers 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.
  • CourseBuddies peer mentoring: First year young adult carer undergraduate 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 young adult carers 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 part of the Young Carers Alliance, a network that aims to improve the lives of young carers, young adult carers and their families.

We have also received the NEON Widening Access Initiative (Retention and Progression) Award in 2022.

Useful resources