We’re excited to announce our Young Independent Students (YIS) project to support students who have been in care or are estranged from their parents.

Award Summary

A non-repayable cash award of £1,000 for students who have previously lived in care, a foyer or are estranged from their biological parents (usually for a period of 12 months or more).

Please note students who choose to live in University-owned accommodation will receive an additional award of £500 directly to their rent account unless the local authority is supporting their rent.

Eligibility Summary

New and continuing home* undergraduate students who have previously lived in care or a foyer or who are estranged from their parents.

• You must be fee-assessed as a home student
• Students studying full-time and paying fees of £9,250 per year
• Aged under 25 at the start of your course
• In receipt of a Student Finance Maintenance loan

Please note: Students will need to provide evidence to show they have lived in care or have lived in a foyer during the year before commencing study at UEL. Estranged students will need to provide evidence to show that they are currently estranged from their biological or adoptive parent/s.

How do I apply?

Please visit our Bursary Intranet page for more information and the application form.

If you require any further assistance or advice, please contact youngindependent@uel.ac.uk

Further information

For more information contact our SMART team on 020 8223 4444 or log in to My Portal, ensuring you have your login details (email and password) to hand.

Funding for care leavers from local authorities

Care leavers who are under 25 and following a full-time programme of undergraduate study are eligible for a grant of £2,000 from their local authority.

In addition, local authorities may contribute to postgraduate study. Care leaver students should contact their local authority for further details.

You can find the contact details for your local authority by visiting your local council website.