Collation of Midlands University Provision For
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COLLATION OF MIDLANDS UNIVERSITY PROVISION FOR LOOKED AFTER/CARE EXPERIENCED YOUNG PEOPLE Compiled by the EMCLASS regional network East Midlands Care Leaver Activities & Student Support February 2012 If you would like to get in touch with EMCLASS regional network, please email [email protected] This publication will be updated at various intervals, so get in touch if you know of any changes to contact details Welcome Choosing to study at university is a big decision. With so many places, courses and ways to study it can feel confusing and overwhelming, even if you are just helping someone else apply. But there is support available: EMCLASS is a network of people who work at universities and colleges in/near the East Midlands and are committed to supporting young people in care and care leavers. Every EMCLASS member has a range of support on offer and we thought it would be useful for you to have it all in one place. This booklet will give you information on the activities offered to young people in care, the support available to care leavers and invaluable contacts at higher education institutions in the Midlands. If you are a young care-experienced person considering higher education, a care leaver who is applying or a professional working with either of these groups then we hope that this will ensure that you can make the most of the help and opportunities available to you. If your local university isn’t included then you can check the Buttle UK website www.buttleuk.org which lists contacts from across the country. If it’s in the North then contact our colleagues at NorthCLASS (Northern region Care Leaver Activities and Student Support) who have also put together a guide similar to this one. Email Arron Pile at [email protected] for more information. One piece of advice that is shared by all members of EMCLASS is: If you are a care leaver applying to study at our institution, tell us! Your experience in care will have no negative effect on your application but may mean you have access to additional support whilst you study, including financial support. Just contact the named person at the university or college you are applying to or tick ‘Yes’ to the question on your UCAS form that asks if you’ve spent any time in care. CONTENTS USEFUL INFORMATION Jargon Buster Student Finance HIGHER EDUCATION PROVIDERS Aston University Loughborough University University of Birmingham University of Northampton Birmingham City University University of Nottingham Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln Nottingham Trent University University of Derby University of Sheffield De Montfort University Sheffield Hallam University Harper Adams University College Staffordshire University Keele University University of Wolverhampton University of Leicester Jargon Buster In this booklet there are a few abbreviations and phrases which you might not be familiar with. Hopefully the list below will be helpful, but if there is anything else that you would like us to explain in more detail then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Access to Learning A university fund which can provide extra help if you’re in hardship and Fund need extra financial support Bespoke Tailored to meet the specific requirements of your group Bursary A sum of money which you don’t have to pay back Care-experienced Having spent any time in care at any time in your life EMCLASS East Midlands Care Leaver Activities and Student Support – a network of people who work in local universities and either support care leavers or run activities for young people in care. FE Further Education (usually refers to college study) FEC Further Education College HE Higher Education (usually refers to university-level study) HEI Higher Education Institution (usually this just means ‘university’) LAC Looked After Children Outreach Activities and support which universities offer to young people to raise aspirations and give them a taste of university life SFE Student Finance England (the body which provides student loans and grants) Summer School Summer-time activities which give a taste of university life. These are usually run over several days Transitional Support Extra support for people to help them prepare for coming to university and help them to settle in once they arrive UCAS The organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK. Applications are made online at www.ucas.com UG/Undergraduate UG is shorthand for undergraduate. An undergraduate student is a person who is studying for a first degree. Once you have completed a first degree, you might choose to undertake further study at an even higher level. Then you would become a postgraduate student. Student Finance Going to university is a life-changing experience that will increase your job prospects and benefit you far into the future – don’t let money worries put you off! The student finance system is managed by Student Finance England (SFE), and is designed to enable you to study in higher education without needing to find any money up front. At first, the sums involved might seem intimidating but don’t let it discourage you – there is plenty of information available to help you and most universities will have a dedicated team to assist you in applying for student funding. Loans From September 2012, there are two types of loans to help new students cover the costs of university or college: tuition fee loans and living cost loans (also called maintenance loans). You don’t have to pay back your loans until you are earning over £21,000 a year. They will be repaid at a rate of nine per cent of your income over £21,000. So if your salary is £25,000 a year, you pay nine per cent of £4,000, which is £6.92 a week. Grants Maintenance Grants are also available from SFE to provide further financial support, and unlike loans they do not have to be paid back. If you are leaving care, it is highly likely that you will be classed as an independent student and will be eligible for the full amount of Maintenance Grant. You will need to send evidence of your independent student status to SFE, such as a letter from your Personal Adviser / Social Worker / Pathway Worker. Keep copies of all documents and letters that you send to SFE – they will be useful in future years, too! Send everything by recorded delivery. You should apply for your student finance as soon as possible. You can do this by logging on to www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance. To be sure of getting your money for the start of term you should apply by no later than 31st May 2012. If you change your mind about the course or university it is easy to change the information you have submitted at a later date. In addition to the Government support outlined above, each university or college will have their own package of financial support for students who they think might need extra help. Again, check their websites to see what is available and don’t be afraid to telephone each university and ask as many questions as possible! If you are coming to study for a degree from a care background, there is likely to be additional financial support available to you from universities and your local authority. Local authorities have a legal duty to provide a £2000 bursary to care leavers entering higher education. A large number of universities will offer a non-repayable bursary specifically to students who are care leavers. You will find more information on these bursaries in this booklet, along with the details for a contact person at each university or college – why not contact them and talk through your options? They can advise you about the support you might be entitled to and will be happy to hear from you. Making contact as early as possible will make it easier for you to gather as much information as possible to assist in choosing which university and course is right for you. You can also visit www.yourfuture.direct.gov.uk for more useful information. Aston University OUTREACH FOR LAC AND CARE PROFESSIONALS Contact: Baljit Gill, Learner Enhancement Manager • University visits for LAC y6-11 from Wolverhampton, Black Country and Worcestershire schools. T: 0121 204 4778 • Strong links with Local Authorities in Worcester, Black Country, Dudley and Wolverhampton. E: [email protected] TRANSITIONAL/CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR CARE LEAVERS OR • Pre-entry correspondence with UG applicants who have identified themselves as having spent time in care on their UCAS form. Contact: Patrick Coughlan, • We offer a pre entry appointment with the Student Funds Administrator to discuss support needs. Student Funds Administrator • Student Funds Administrator can liaise with the applicant’s local T: 0121 204 4740 authority (with their permission) to aid with the transition to University. E: [email protected] • Shared information with Foyer once university place is confirmed. • ‘Welcome to Aston University’ leaflet for Care Leavers. • Up to £1000 annual bursary paid at start of term 1. • Prioritised applications to the Access to Learning Fund. • Discretionary uncapped payments from the Access to Learning Fund. • 52 week accommodation for duration of degree, if required. • Personalised signposting to the comprehensive range of student support available, eg Pre-entry e-mentoring, Transition Mentoring, Study Skills development, etc. • Ongoing point of contact throughout time at University. www.aston.ac.uk/current-students/student-services/fau/care-foyer University of Birmingham OUTREACH FOR LAC AND CARE PROFESSIONALS Contact: Anne Snell • Priority allocation of places on all our school and college outreach T: 0121 4147801 events, including subject enrichment classes, bespoke visits and residential summer schools.