Adviser toolkit: Supporting students with individual needs

To make sure all your students feel informed and prepared at each stage of their application journey, we’ve worked with expert organisations to bring together practical tips and useful resources for those who are advising students about their next step.

In this guide, you will find practical information on how to support the following groups:

We've worked with experts, such as the National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP) to outline some of the ways in which you can help your students make a successful transition.

Some students may be hesitant to tell their university, so we've worked with experts (including Student Minds and the University Mental Health Advisers' Network (UMHAN)) to explain the process of declaration to your students, and offer practical ways to help them manage the transition to independence.

Here are some practical ways in which you can support care experienced students research their options and prepare for their next step, which we have developed with experts such as the Care Leavers' Covenant, Become, the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) and Who Cares? Scotland.

Here, with the charity Stand Alone, we outline the ways in which you can help students in at each stage and explain what support they may be able to access.

We have worked with expert organisations, including STAR Network, Refugee Education UK and We Belong to help clarify what you can do to help and support young students' aspirations for higher education.

A carer is anyone who has a commitment to providing unpaid care to a family member or friend who could not cope without their support. This may be due to illness, disability, a mental health issue, or substance misuse.

Balancing studying with family life can present challenges, so student parents will find it useful to know what support they can access to manage their priorities. Here, we offer some practical tips to help them along their journey to higher education.

We have worked with the Service Children’s Progression (SCiP) Alliance to explain how you can practically support Service children along their journey to higher education.

Students who have served in the UK Armed Forces as a Regular or Reservist may find there are unique challenges involved in applying to higher education. We have worked with the Ministry of Defence and experts at the University of South Wales to offer practical ways to help them explore their options and prepare for their next step.

Discover what students are eligible for free school meals (FSMs), how to support them, and how it's declared.

There are an estimated 312,000 children of prisoners in the UK and they are often described as 'invisible'. Disclosing they are a child of a prisoner on their UCAS application will not disadvantage them, but instead give the provider a fuller picture of their circumstances.

Other tools and resources to help you support students with individual needs

UCAS’ Outreach Connection Service has been developed for UK teachers and advisers, offering an efficient and timesaving online tool to support disadvantaged and underrepresented students to higher education.

Back-to-basics guidance through the application process for supporters new to UCAS.

An overview for those supporting eligible applicants applying to undergraduate courses.

Information and advice for students from under-represented backgrounds to help them research support, share their circumstances, and make informed decisions.

All you need to know for supporting students with their discovery journey and application.

Other tools and resources to help you support students with individual needs

Sponsored content UCAS Media Service