Supporting children from UK Armed Forces families (Service children)

This toolkit was created in partnership with the Service Children’s Progression (SCiP) Alliance and the Ministry of Defence.

Pre-application and research phase

• Identify students whose parent(s) or carer(s) are serving as a Regular or Reservist in the UK Armed Forces, or have done so in the past – flag that support is available in higher education. Our information and advice is a good starting point, as is the SCiP Alliance website.
• The pastoral team or dedicated lead for Service children in your school or college may be able to help you identify which students might benefit from support. They may also be able to help with these conversations if they already have a trusted relationship with those students – you could direct them to our step-by-step guide to help with this.
• Be mindful that not all Service children may be known to the school or college, especially if their parent(s) or carer(s) are no longer serving in the Armed Forces.  
• Learn more about how to support Service children with their post-16 education through the Diversity Meets Complexity report from SCiP Alliance.

Supporting students to research their options

Encourage students to contact widening access and participation or outreach teams at the universities they're interested in to find out how they can be supported during their studies.

Think about practical matters early

• Students who have been affected by frequent school moves, parental deployment, and family separation may find there is an impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Make sure they know there is support available in higher education to manage this. Encourage anyone with an existing mental health condition to share this on their UCAS application – and check our toolkit for supporting students with mental health conditions.
• Check if students have any caring responsibilities (see our dedicated toolkit for supporting students with caring responsibilities).
• If a student has been bereaved, they may be eligible for additional financial support from the Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme (AFBSS) – it may be a good idea to signpost this with the student’s parent or carer.

When they’re applying

Making their choices

Encourage aspirational choices, especially if frequent school changes and disruption have impacted their attainment – students may be considered for contextualised offers. 

Completing the UCAS application

Note: Most applicants living outside of the UK due to a parent’s posting, will have a BFPO (British Forces Post Office) address for receiving mail – they should select ‘BFPO address’ as the address type in the UCAS application. Students can check BFPO addresses on GOV.UK.

Rarely, applicants may not have a BFPO address and therefore will not see the UK Armed Forces family question in the ‘More about you’ section if they enter a non-UK address. In this instance, we recommend they contact their choices about their circumstances – both to clarify their residency status and to discuss any support. 

• Encourage students to share their circumstances in the ‘More about you’ section of the application. Reassure them this information is only used positively to help support their success – our FAQs page may help answer any questions.
• Use the reference to highlight anything which may have affected a student’s attainment or performance (e.g. frequent school changes, learning gaps, parental deployment, and any care responsibilities). SCiP Alliance has additional guidance for advisers and referees.
• Advise students to use their personal statement to highlight the skills and strengths gained through their experiences – point them towards SCiP Alliance’s guidance for students for help. 

Post-application and offers

• Remind students to update their contact details if they move after submitting their application.
• Check students can attend open days and interviews – especially if they have to travel long distances. The university or college may be able to help with costs or practical matters.
• Prompt students to apply for student finance early (including Disabled Students’ Allowance if relevant). If in doubt about which funding body they should apply to, check this guidance from GOV.UK, or contact the funding body directly. 

During Confirmation and Clearing

If the student is using Clearing to find a place, advise them to speak to the university or college about any support needs before making a final decision. 

Preparing for the transition to university or college

• Check if students have concerns about leaving home, especially if parents are deployed or need care. It’s a good idea for them to contact student services and find out what help is available should they need it (e.g. mental health support, peer and support groups).
• For students who have learning gaps due to mobility, check what academic support is offered to fill any gaps in skills or knowledge.
• Tell students about free online courses that can help them prepare for HE, such as the Preparing for university course from FutureLearn – the university may also have suggestions.
• Make sure they know who to contact at university or college if they have any questions or problems when they arrive.

Further support and resources

• Information and advice on ucas.com
• The Service Children’s Progression (SCiP) Alliance website has information and advice for students from Armed Forces families. Learn more about the experiences of Service children through their Thriving Lives in Higher Education and Under the Radar reports. The Thriving Lives Toolkit from SCiP Alliance is designed to help schools support Service children.
• The Education Advisory Team at the Ministry of Defence provides professional information, advice and guidance about the education of Service children – for schools and families.
• For those with a parent or carer in the Army, more information is available from the Army Families Federation (AFF) website.
• For those with a parent or carer in the Navy, the Naval Families Federation (NFF) website provides information and advice.
• For those with a parent or carer in the Royal Air Force, the Royal Air Force Families Federation (RAF FF) website offers more information.
• The Armed Forces Covenant supports the families of UK Armed Forces personnel, including education.
• The Armed Forces Bereavement Scholarship Scheme (AFBSS) provides higher and further education scholarships for service children who have been bereaved.