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Exeter Cares Team

Rachel Farmer

Welfare Consultant - Widening Participation

Claire Botham

Students Guild

(Advice Team)

Alex Lewis (Penryn)

Education Welfare Manager

 

 

 

Stand Alone Award 2022

Stand Alone Pledge 2021

Estranged students

We are committed to supporting any young person who is estranged from their family and who is studying without the support or approval of a family network. As part of this commitment the University has proudly taken the Stand Alone Pledge which will help provide support for estranged students in the following areas: financial, accommodation, wellbeing, peer mentoring, careers and employability.

We understand that no two estranged students’ circumstances are the same and realise that you may not fully identify as estranged or meet the criteria to be considered self-supporting. In any case, we are committed to supporting you throughout your studies.

If you would like more information, require support or have questions about estrangement or your own circumstances, whether this is before you apply to Exeter or at any stage of your course, the Exeter Cares team is here to help please do not hesitate to contact us via exeter-cares@exeter.ac.uk

Student Finance England

If you are irreconcilably estranged from your family, you can ask to be assessed as an independent student and be assessed on your own household income. The Exeter Cares team can offer advice about applying as an independent student and provide guidance through the process. Contact us via exeter-cares@exeter.ac.uk

Financial support

For undergraduate students there is the opportunity to apply for:

  • the Access to Exeter Bursary
  • additional financial support (Estranged Student Bursary), this amount is not fixed and will be dependent on your situation.

Further information about funding is available on our financial support pages.

Success for All Hardship fund

The University, in partnership with its alumni community, has created a fund to offer additional financial support if you are experiencing unexpected financial hardship which is affecting your ability to study within your current academic year.

Priority will be given to students undertaking their first degree who are from low income households or without family support. The majority of funds are means-tested and you will be asked to provide evidence in support of your application.

Allowable expenditure includes (but is not exclusive to):

  • Accommodation fees
  • Travel
  • Childcare
  • Course costs
  • Living costs
  • IT equipment costs
  • Unexpected one-off costs

 As an Estranged Student, am I eligible to apply for this support? 

Yes, all registered Undergraduate and Postgraduate students are eligible to apply. If your course is part-time, distance learning, or you commute to University, you are also still eligible for support.

We recognise that as an estranged student, you may face a number of unique issues, and these will be considered in your application. If you have dependents, or commuting is necessary for your course, please let us know and this will be considered in your application. Please note we will ask for supporting documents to evidence these costs.

For more information or about applying to the Success for All hardship fund please click here

365 day accommodation

The University of Exeter can provide 365 day access to accommodation - in particular to cover the holiday periods - to remove the obstacle of having to find temporary vacation accommodation if you require it. 

The University can provide access to accommodation during the whole calendar year including the holiday periods.  First years can also apply for early arrival into their university accommodation.  

Applications for early access can be made online through a student’s accommodation account. They are processed in date order of arrival and subject to availability but with priority given to estranged. The Accommodation Office are unable to guarantee that a student’s term-time room will be available before the start of the arrivals period, and it is likely that a student will need to move again during the arrivals period. 

Health and wellbeing are crucial ingredients of effective study, as well as a rich and fulfilling student experience, but staying well in body and mind isn’t always easy at university. We recognise that it’s much more difficult to learn and enjoy student life when personal difficulties or emotional worries arise. Sometimes you need a little help to get “back on track” and our Wellbeing Team can offer a range of services to support you both personally and within your studies if difficulties occur.

For more information about support available see the Wellbeing website or email wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk

The University of Exeter offers career and employability support and guidance throughout your time studying with us; with continued support after you graduate. The Career Zone can offer a wide variety of programmes, including fully funded internships and mentoring schemes to support your entrance into the work place. These programmes offer the flexibility to create your own internship, financially supported by the Career Zone.

For further information please see the Careers website or contact:

Exeter Career Zone campuses
01392 724493
careers@exeter.ac.uk

Penryn Career Zone
01326 253735
cc-careers@exeter.ac.uk