Our commitment to you
We are committed to providing fair access, information, advice and guidance to prospective students who have spent time in local authority care.
Who is a care experienced student?
The University of Reading defines a care experienced student as the following:
- a student who has spent time in local authority care
- is registered on a full-time undergraduate course
- is classed as a 'home' student
- is under 25 years of age at the start of their course
What does it mean to be an estranged student?
We recognise that having no communicative relationship with either biological parents can have a significant impact on educational opportunities and outcomes.
Student Finance England classifies estranged students as:
- a student who has “not communicated with either of your biological or adoptive parents for 12 months (this is flexible) before your course begins and the situation is irreconcilable.”
- a student who can “show you have been financially independent for three or more years through employment or benefits (consecutively or non-consecutively) before your course begins.’’
Confidential advice and support
If you are care-experienced or estranged, you can contact Debi Linton (d.linton@reading.ac.uk) confidentially for further information about applying to university in general and the extra support that we provide to care experienced students at the University of Reading.
Looking for more specific information?
You will find more detailed information and contact details below for student financial support, accommodation, admissions, on-course support and our outreach activities.