Read Chloe's story
From being estranged from her family and homeless at 16, to studying at the University of Oxford, Chloe shares her advice for estranged students considering applying to university.
Students without parental support (estranged)
If you’re considering university and studying without the support and approval of both parents due to a breakdown in your relationship (also known as being ‘estranged’), you'll find everything you need to know here.
We're here to help
Who is an ‘estranged’ student? Young people aged 25 or below, studying without the support and approval of both parents due to a breakdown in their relationship (i.e. you are not in contact with and supported by either of your parents) . This might be biological, step or adoptive parents, or possibly wider family members who have been involved in your care.
Have you been in care? If you have been in local authority care, you may be considered a ‘care leaver’ rather than ‘estranged’. Visit our care leaver information page for more details about the support available to you.
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Find out what funding is available, and how to apply for it. With the amount of paperwork involved, it’s best to start early.
Find out what support and funding is available to estranged students in Scotland.
We’ve got everything you need to know about finding your perfect course, and applying to university.
Universities and colleges have dedicated teams to help you overcome life’s challenges and support you with a range of issues, so you get the most out of your studies.
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Taking care of your emotional wellbeing is an important part of university life. Find out how to get counselling support at your uni or college.
Supporting a student through the UCAS process?
If you're helping someone to explore their career options or apply to university, we have resources to help you:
- Our supporter toolkits offer a step-by-step guide to the UCAS process and don't assume any prior knowledge or experience.
- Our adviser toolkits provide practical tips when advising students with individual needs at each step of the journey. These assume a background knowledge of the UCAS process, but can be used with our supporter toolkits to ensure you're giving them all the specialist information they need.