At the University of the Built Environment we are committed to supporting care experienced students to achieve their full potential in their higher education studies.
Who has care experience and what does this mean?
Different higher education institutions have different ways they define and support students. ‘Care leavers’ or ‘care experienced’ are terms that can often be used. At the University we support any students who have experienced care, which means applicants or students who have spent any amount of time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care, looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care.
Dedicated Student Support
We are committed to providing all students with the support and tools they need to succeed. We offer tailored support to students with physical and sensory impairments, specific learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders, mental health conditions, and long-term health conditions. Students are also supported throughout their journey with academic skills support from the first week at the University through to graduation. Our ‘virtual hangouts’ also offer a welcoming space to meet fellow students from across the university.
Settling Into University Life
There are a number of university wide initiatives that support all students including care experienced students. These include our Female Networking Group, the Student Networking Group, Peers Assisted Learning, the university’s induction module BE Ready and Space to Study.
Admissions Support
Contextual admissions (undergraduate applicants).
Our contextual offer scheme exists to provide fairness and equality of opportunity, by ensuring that adequate steps are taken to address differences between applicants, including differences in their experience of educational opportunities.
If you are a student with care experience and are applying to one of the University of the Built Environment undergraduate programmes, you may be eligible for this.
For more information view our Contextual Admission Policy or contact the University’s Admissions team.
Support Programmes
Student Mentor Scheme
DiverseCity Surveyor Mentoring Programme
DiverseCity Surveyors and the University of the Built Environment have joined together to provide a Career Mentoring Programme to support students from ethnic minority backgrounds and care experienced backgrounds. Mentors will be drawn from the DiverseCity Surveyors network and the University’s alumni network to work with individual students to support and nurture their career development and aspirations.
Accommodation support
N/A Online University
Students’ Union
N/A Do not have a Students’ Union
Financial support
The financial implications of being in care often mean that you could be worried about managing the costs of higher education study.
If you are a current student facing financial hardship which is impacting on your ability to study, you may be eligible for financial support from the University’s Financial Support Fund. Applications made by students with care experience will be fast-tracked.
For more information on Government funded support visit the Government website.
At Graduation
Student Employability
All students have access to the University’s Careers and Employability Service including Careers Connect, our digital Careers platform where students can access our appointment booking system, events, CV review requests and learning resources.
For one-to-one advice students can book an appointment with our Careers Consultant.
