#TickTheBox

This week is the Fostering Network’s #TickTheBox Campaign which calls for Care experienced young people applying to university to tick the box that asks them if they have care experience. This is the best way for them to receive extra help, support and funding during university but is often overlooked.

There were so many key points and helpful reminders to take away from the webinar held yesterday morning that we have written a blog on the subject to help anyone thinking of applying to university with Care experience or anyone supporting someone who is.

✔️ 1. #TickTheBox – During your application you will be asked if you have care experience. This is confidential and will not in any way harm your chances of getting into university – if may actually help lower the offer grades in some cases.

💻2. There are many universities to choose from who may all offer different support. https://propel.org.uk/UK/ is a great website to find out what the univeristy your interested in can offer.

🎓3. You can inform the university of your care experience throughout your university journey. Many people don’t do it until second year and feedback they wish they had done it sooner. Its not to late to do it now.

💼4. Some university’s will have a Transitions Officer whose job is to help certain groups of students such as Care leavers. They can be a contact on open days, help with wellbeing and extenuating circumstances applications, and can guide you through all the extra help you can receive and how to get it. It is worth asking the univeristy student support team who this contact will be.

🏠5. Accommodation often brings up problems for care experienced young people at university however there are often policies in place to tackle these. Transition offers or assigned contacts can often act as guarantors for private acoundation. They can also help arrange for students to be able to stay in their accommodation throughout the summer if needed and even up to 2 months after graduation.

💬6. Your experience is confidential and will only be shared with designated contacts and people with your consent. The designated contact at the university usually have years of experience and understand that you often wont want to talk about your experience. That is fine and students will not be pushed into sharing their experiences.

🤑7. As someone with care experience you will often have access to extra grants and bursary’s to put towards you time at university weather that be, accommodation, food or books. The great thing about these if they likely don’t have to be paid back. These wont just be paid to you by the univeristy but also the Local authority. Please speak to your social worker or PA who can help you find out what your LA can offer you.

Has anyone got anymore tips they would like to share? Please leave them in the comments down below.