Estranged students

UWE Cares eligibility and how we assess you for support.

If you are permanently separated from both of your biological or adoptive parents or if both of your parents are deceased, are under 25 at the start of your course and you are a Home UK Undergraduate student, you can access support from UWE Cares as an estranged student.

Estrangement means you have little or no contact with your parents and this is unlikely to change.

You won't be eligible to access UWE Cares support simply because:

  • your parents don't support you emotionally or financially
  • you don’t get on with your parents
  • you don't live with your parents.

You need to show Student Finance evidence that your relationship with both your parents has permanently broken down, or that both of your parents are deceased.

How to apply for the UWE Cares bursary and accommodation support

  1. Step 1

    To be eligible for our financial and accommodation support as an estranged student, you must:

    • be a Home UK undergraduate student
    • be able to evidence your status as an estranged student – read the Stand Alone Student Finance Guide for more information about evidence Student Finance would need to see
    • be under 25 years old when your university course starts
    • be studying your first undergraduate degree, studying at least 30 credits per year
    • be income assessed by your Student Finance body as having a household income under £25,000.

    Current students

    If you are a current student who wants to be assessed for the UWE Cares bursary and accommodation support, please email us at uwecares@uwe.ac.uk.

    I don't meet the UWE Cares bursary eligibility. Can I still access support from UWE Cares?

    Any Home UK undergraduate student that is permanently separated from both their biological or adoptive parents, or whose parents are both deceased and is under 25 at the start of their course, can access our non-financial support, which includes a designated point of contact, information, opportunities and events.

    UWE Cares support

    If you don’t meet the bursary eligibility and feel you are estranged from both your parents, contact us at uwecares@uwe.ac.uk and we can assess your circumstances on an individual basis.

  2. Step 2

    Please refer to our application guidance if you need help.

  3. Step 3

    If you are an estranged student, it's important that you let UWE Cares know you are coming to study with us at UWE Bristol. This helps us make sure you have all the info you need to access support and events when you begin your course. Email the team at uwecares@uwe.ac.uk.

  4. Step 4

    The quicker you apply for student finance the better. This will help UWE Bristol to assess your eligibility for our UWE Cares bursary and for deposit waivers in UWE Bristol accommodation.

    Checklist for applying to student finance

    • Apply as an independent student due to being irreconcilably estranged.
    • Make sure your household income is assessed by Student Finance. You will need to complete and send a Confirmation of Estrangement form to Student Finance (England and Wales).

    You can apply for financial support from your funding body:

    Please read the Stand Alone Student Finance Guide for advice about applying for student finance as an estranged student, including guidance about the supporting documents or evidence you need to share with student finance to show that you are estranged.

  5. Step 5

    UWE Bristol will assess you based on your Student Finance assessment. We will contact you by email if we need any further information.

  6. Step 6

    If you are eligible for the UWE Cares bursary, you will also be eligible for UWE Cares accommodation support.

    When you choose UWE Bristol as your firm choice on UCAS, you’ll receive an email from our Admissions team inviting you to apply for student accommodation.

    Applications for UWE Bristol's accommodation options will open on 10 June 2023.

    We will give you more information about applying for accommodation when you contact us.

You must complete all of the above actions to be assessed for the UWE Cares bursary and accommodation support.

Guidance for prospective students

If you're thinking about studying at university and you are estranged from your parents, the below resources can help:

Please tick the estranged box on your UCAS application. This will help universities to offer you extra support.

"I feel that you, UWE Cares, have gone above and beyond to support us estranged students and I couldn't have asked for a better team. Thank you for everything!"

Kyle, UWE Bristol student

Kyle UWE Bristol student

Awards

UWE Bristol has won four national Pledge Awards from the charity that supports estranged adults, Stand Alone, celebrating and recognising our university as one that provides excellent support to estranged students.

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