Support for young, estranged students

Our City Cares team provides financial, pastoral, and educational support to estranged students, from application stage through to graduation and searching for employment.

We recognise that students with little or no family support often face additional challenges whilst at university and we are committed to supporting you with difficulties you might have so that you can make the most of your time here.

City Cares is a service which offers a range of support to help you navigate the ups and downs of your student journey from enrolment to graduation.

I was worried that becoming an independent student would be held against me, so it was useful to have City Cares in my corner backing me and reminding me that my circumstances weren't my fault.

Who is a young, estranged student?

The term 'estranged' means that you have permanently lost familial contact. This means that you have not had any contact with your family for a significant period of time. If you are 25 or under at the start of your course and have a permanent lack of contact with your parents or guardian, then you can identify as a young, estranged student.

You can also become estranged student during your studies. Reach out to City Cares via Support@City for further advice and support.

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 young, estranged student you are guaranteed access to pre-entry support such as application advice, 1:1 bespoke visit days, pre-induction events and taster weeks.

• Widening Participation Outreach activities for schools and colleges
• Widening Participation Outreach taster weeks

If we don't know that you are a young, estranged student we can't offer you extra help. We recommend that you tick the box on the UCAS form to disclose that you are a young, estranged student.

Financial support

• City Cares Bursary – undergraduate young, estranged students who meet the eligibility criteria will be awarded up to £3,500 each year of their studies for up to three years.
• Hardship Fund – students who find themselves in financial hardship can apply for the Hardship Fund. Young, estranged students are eligible for support of up to £2,500.
• Graduation package – young, estranged students who complete their final year of undergraduate studies are eligible for a financial package to aid with graduation costs and life after City St George's.

Sharing your household income with Student Finance England

We recommend that all new students share their household income with Student Finance England where relevant. This is so we can see whether you have a household income of £25,000 or below as you may be eligible for the City Cares Bursary.

To do this, you will need to submit evidence to support the claim of estrangement. Examples of proof that you can provide:

• A letter from a social worker (if you have one)
• If you claimed welfare benefits before the age of 18, a letter from your local Job Centre Plus office showing that you received benefits because of your personal circumstances
• If your relationship with your parents/guardian broke down while you were still at school or college, a letter from a teacher, personal tutor, or support worker, to confirm your situation
• If you have needed to visit a doctor because of the circumstances relating to your estrangement, a letter of confirmation from your doctor.

Letters should be on headed paper and signed by the referee (with their contact details included).

On-course support

City Cares helps students transition to university life, provides advice and guidance whilst studying with us and supports students to prepare for life after graduation.

• A Designated Member of Staff to support you throughout your time at City St George's by being your first point of contact.
• As a young, estranged student you are prioritised for City St George's partner 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 St George's Accommodation Advisers to ensure you are allocated accommodation that best meets your needs, including out of term time.
• All young, estranged students receive priority access for counselling services.
• CityBuddies peer mentoring: First year undergraduate young, estranged 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.
• Support with academic skills, attend workshops and 1-1 sessions to make sure that you're getting the most out of your studies. City Cares students have increased access.
• Second and third year undergraduate young, estranged students will be guaranteed an interview and given priority for the professional mentoring scheme, an opportunity to receive mentoring with a person in industry.

Useful resources

• Stand Alone – Provides support to estranged adults.
• Become – Offers support, advice and help to young estranged people.
• Propel – As part of Become, Propel provides useful resources about applying to Higher Education institutions, different courses available and financial support.
• Student Finance England – Provides an estrangement form to be means-assessed for your personal household income.

If you have any questions about the application process, would like to know more about City St George's, University of London, or would like to arrange a visit to campus, please contact us.