Care Leavers
From Care to University
If you are leaving care to study, or are care experienced and already studying here at Loughborough University, then we encourage you to contact us. You could benefit from a bursary and confidential advice.
We believe that anyone with the potential to study at university should have the opportunity, because the benefits of a degree can have a significant impact on improving employability, earning potential and quality of life.
Therefore, we are proud to have held the Buttle UK Quality Mark since 2007. This “recognises institutions who go the extra mile to support students who have been in public care.”
Raising Aspirations
Loughborough’s Student Outreach and Recruitment Team:
- Is a key partner in Leicester’s The Way Ahead Project, which seeks to raise the educational aspirations and attainment of looked after young people.
- Is part of the team delivering The Way Ahead Summer School (annually in July since 2006) for looked after young people in the East Midlands
- Offers bespoke events to encourage care experienced young people, e.g. student shadowing
- Encourages schools and colleges to put looked after children forward as a priority group for events in general
A smooth transition to university
We encourage care leavers to declare their ‘time in care’ on their UCAS application or to contact us directly. This information goes no further than our dedicated contact person for care leavers, but allows us to provide:
- An annual, non-repayable bursary of up to £1,500. This has been made possible by the generosity of our Alumni and the Loughborough University Development Trust.
- Personalised signposting to the comprehensive range of student support available
- Help with arranging 52 week accommodation for our students. It is also possible to organise vacation accommodation at Loughborough for students at other universities who wish to stay in Leicestershire during their university vacations.
- The opportunity to undertake paid work as a student mentor encouraging other young people to choose higher education
“I was in care, and as a student have helped with events at Loughborough. What a fantastic experience it was for me to give something back, to share my experiences with young people in care. I felt honoured, and I also felt I made a difference in the way of making young people in care realise that anything is possible, no matter what your background. As regards the financial incentive this was just a brucey bonus for me!!!” Recent masters graduate
Contact Us
We are always happy to receive enquiries from carers, care workers, designated teachers, and of course, young people considering higher education, or those already in receipt of an offer to study at Loughborough.
The dedicated contact is Justine Sanders Tel: 01509 222481