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Overcoming Adversity

ConnectEd aims to empower students from underrepresented groups to purse their goals in higher education.

On this page you'll find resources to help you through your higher education journey as a student experiencing social adversity.

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Browse our sections below:

Students Experiencing Financial Constraints

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How is higher education funded? 

(sourced from https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/financial-pressures-on-higher-education/ )

Most students will get their tuition money from government-backed ‘student loans’. For more information click here.

 

Students in employment:

  • The Guardian reported that as of 2014, 59% of students work whilst attending university. 45% of students have a part-time job, while 13% have full-time jobs in term time or the holidays. The report also revealed that 55% of working students keep a job to have money to spend on food and household bills. (Think Student)

  • Fewer than one in five young people from the lower social class groups (IIIm, IV and V) participate in HE, compared to 45% of youths in higher social class groups (IIIn, II and I) (Institute for Employment Studies)

  • 59% of students say that their mental health suffers as a result of money issues.

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Different available methods of funding:

  • Scholarships and Bursaries – offered on the basis of academic ability, your income, or for other reasons (for example, if you have a disability).

  • Fee Waivers – these reduce tuition fees, either on their own, or in a broader package of support with a bursary.

  • Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) – if your child has a disability, including a long-term health condition, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia they might be able to get funds to cover extra costs. Students can get up to £26,291 of support for 2023 to 2024.

  • Hardship funds - most institutions will have hardship funds set aside for students in financial difficulty. They decide how much you receive depending on your situation. In most cases, you don't have to pay it back

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Find out if you qualify for a hardship fund using this link

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More available funding:

  • Maintenance Grant

  • Special Support Grant

  • Maintenance Bursary (Scotland)

  • Travel grant

  • Dependants' and childcare grants

  • Bursaries and scholarships

  • NHS bursaries

  • Social Work Bursaries

  • Teaching grants and funding

 

For more details check out:

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University students     

Gov.uk - student finance extra help

Student Space - how to find extra funding

Uni Freshers  - Grants for University Students

 

Apprenticeships

UCAS - apprenticeships funding

Go Construct - construction apprenticeships 

Citb - Grants and Funding for Apprenticeships 

BAME Students

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Ethnicity of apprenticeship starts in the UK in 2020/21

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Ethnicity of first year undergraduate students in the UK

Ways in which universities have tackled race inequality:

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Links to help and support BAME individuals to access higher education:

  • A Parent’s Guide to Black Lives Matter -Resources, activities, and tips for families to empower children to work towards racial equality and inspire 

  • Lincoln Education toolkit for Student Success 

  • Kids of Colour - Kids of Colour creates spaces for young people of colour to come together and explore
    race, identity and culture and support them to challenge the racism they face

  • Salaam Project -The Salam Project is a group of youth workers who work with African and Caribbean young people, helping
    them to stand up to gang crime, extremism and radicalisation

  • Generating Genius -Creating the next generation of STEM talent. There is a need to search wider and find talent from genuinely disadvantaged and black communities.

  • Future leaders - This organisation runs a programme of workshops for students and graduates with the focus on diversity.

  • Civil Service Fast Stream: Summer Diversity Internship Programme - The multi-award winning Summer Diversity Internship Programme (SDIP) gives people from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to see what a career in the Civil Service is like

Female Students

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Gender of students in the UK in 2017/18:

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Gender of apprenticeship starts in the UK in 2021/22:

It is important to note that women in male-dominated sectors are more likely to leave their apprenticeship before completion. Women are also less likely to receive training as part of their apprenticeship, and 16% of women were out of work by the end of their apprenticeship (compared to 6% of men).

(Young Women’s Trust)

 

 

Resources for female university students:

  • Many universities have feminist societies, and societies to support female students generally or within specific degree courses.

  • Have a look at the websites for your prospective universities to see exactly what they have to offer.

 

Female inclusion in apprenticeships:

  • The Young Women’s Trust recommends measures to bridge the gender gap in male-dominated sectors (such as IT, engineering and construction), as well as in prospects beyond apprenticeships.

  • Such measures include (but are not limited to) employers adopting diversity plans and outreach schemes, and more transparency to encourage accountability.

Disabled Students

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Apprenticeship starts with disabilities (including learning difficulties) in the UK:

17.3%

of all home students

 

  • This is a 47% increase from 2014/15.

  • Much of this increase has been in those reporting a mental health condition.

  • The most common type of reported disability was ‘specific learning difficulties.’

Disabled students in higher education in the UK in 2019/20:

Support for university students with disabilities:

  • UK home students with disabilities (including physical disabilities, long-term illnesses and mental health issues) are eligible to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

  • The type and amount of support is determined by individual needs, regardless of household income.

  • During the 2023 to 2024 academic year students can receive up to £26,291 a year from the DSA.

  • Support under DSA includes specialist equipment, non-medical helpers, specialist tuition, travel.

  • For more information on DSA and how to apply:

 

Individual universities also offer support to students with mental and physical disabilities.

  • For example, the University of Exeter offers advice and support through their AccessAbility team, including Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) tailored to the student’s needs.

  • Check the websites of your prospective universities to find out what support they offer.

  • Also have a look at the university’s various societies and support groups.

 

Disability support in apprenticeships: 

  • Into Apprenticeships guide

  • Disability Rights UK

  • Includes further resources and case studies, information on apprenticeships, and advice on informing employers about disabilities in order to secure accommodations.

  • Access to Work scheme

    • Gov.UK

    • Workplace support, including grants to help pay for practical support, funds for communication support, and mental health support.

  • The UK government has also set up a flexi-job apprenticeship scheme to make apprenticeships more accessible.

    • The programme allows people to complete shorter-term placements with flexible or project-based work, across multiple businesses.

    • This can be either with or without the involvement of a flexi-job apprenticeship agency.

    • For more information on flexi-job apprenticeships and how to apply:

LGBTQ+ Students

Support for LGBTQ+ university students:

  • Most universities have LGBTQ+ societies, including intersectional societies (for example, the Queer and BAME Collective at Exeter University). 

  • Have a look at the various societies at your prospective universities.

 

LGBTQ+ inclusion in apprenticeships:

  • Unionlearn from the TUC is working towards dismantling barriers that may prevent LGBTQ+ people from applying to apprenticeships, and ensuring that apprenticeships provide a safer and more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ participants.

  • This includes (but is not limited to) encouraging the use of specific anti-discrimination statements, outreach programmes, and language-checked application forms that do not require information indicating a change of gender identity.

Young Carers

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  • There are over 375,000 young adult caregivers in the UK aged 14-25

  • 39% rated their physical health as either ‘just ok’ or ‘poor’ and 45% reported having mental health problems 

  • Although 79% enjoyed college or university, 56% were experiencing difficulties because of their caring role 

  • 16% were concerned that they might drop out of college/ university 

  • Those who found college/ university difficult had significantly higher caring responsibilities 

  • 45% said that they received no help from their university 

  • 56% of respondents currently received a bursary to help with their studies 

  • Young people with caring roles often achieve lower grades than their non-caregiving peers which may prevent them from giving to college or university 

  • A survey conducted by National Union of Students showed that only 36% of student careers felt able to balance their commitments

 

Recommendations from UCAS to help young carers:

 

  • Academic help – this might be flexible deadlines, help with managing your workload, or priority access to academic or career opportunities (e.g. internships).

  • Financial help – some course providers offer bursaries and other financial support to student carers. You might be eligible for a scholarship, grant or bursary.

  • Health and wellbeing support – as well as support services on campus, some universities and colleges offer induction days over the summer to help you settle in and to give you the chance to discuss your support needs.

  • Carer Passport – some universities run the Carer Passport scheme, which means you won’t have to share your story multiple times with different staff across the university. Find out more about the Carer Passport.

 

More resources for carers:

 

 

Many individual universities also offer support for young carers, such as King’s College London and UCL. Have a look at the websites for your prospective universities to see what they have to offer.

Students leaving Care

 

  • In March 2020, there were 80,080 children in England being looked after by a local authority

  • In 2018-19, 13% of children looked after for more than a year were in higher education by age 19 vs 43% for all other school students

  • For the same period, 26.3% of pupils who received free school meals were in higher education by 19, compared with 45.1% for all other students. 

  • The proportion of care experienced students attending higher-tariff universities has remained at 1 per cent for the last decade, 

  • Care experienced students are less likely to graduate with a first or upper second class degree than their peers. Of those graduating in 2018-19, only 68.2% achieved a 1st or 2:1

    • This was 12.1 percentage points lower than for students who were not in care.

 

Who qualifies as a care leaver?

  • Care experienced: This brief uses the term ‘care experienced’ to denote a group or person in question who has spent time in local authority care

  • Care leaver: A young person aged from 16 to 25 who has been ‘looked after’ for at least 13 weeks by a local authority at some point since they were 14 years old, and was in care on or after their 16th birthday.

  • Unaccompanied asylum seeking children: Children under 18 who have applied for asylum in their own right and are separated from both parents and any other responsible adult.

  • Estranged students: Students who are ‘estranged’ have no communicative relationship with either of their living biological or adoptive parents, and often their wider family networks as well

 

Why you should consider Higher Education

  • Studies suggest that those who do attend university generally consider it a positive, even a transformative, experience

  • Many colleges and universities make you adjusted offers in recognition of their often disrupted prior education. There are more specialist support staff, and some higher education providers offer tailored pastoral care. 

  • Many offer some level of financial support, and some students are eligible for a £2,000 annual bursary from their local authority. 

  • There is increased financial aid, from local authorities and providers.

  • The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) is trialling a new quality mark to support institutions to achieve the best outcomes for their care experienced students

  • OfS guidance requires universities and colleges to understand disparities between underrepresented groups and others at the various stages of the student lifecycle and to take steps to address them

  • If the apprentice is 16 to 24 and a care leaver, they will receive a £1,000 bursary payment to support them in their first year of the apprenticeship.  

 

Guidance on navigating higher education as a careleaver: 

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