Young Carers

• Admissions Support for Young Carers

  As a young carer, you may face unique challenges in the application process. We encourage you to disclose your status as a young carer in your UCAS application. This will allow us to:

  • Understand the context of your achievements: We consider your caring responsibilities when reviewing your application to ensure that your personal and academic efforts are fully recognised.
  • Contextual Offers: Verified Young Carers qualify for our minimum entry requirements as an academic adjustment for the disruption to your studies that additional caring responsibilities may have had.
  • Direct you to financial support: You may be eligible for scholarships designed to support you financially during your time at university.

• How to Inform us you are a Young Carer

  To verify eligibility for a contextual offer letting us know about your role as a young carer is crucial. Here is how you can inform us:

  1. Tick the “Carers” box on your UCAS application: This information will then be visible to us, and we may contact you to provide further information to verify your Carer Status.
  2. Ensure your referee details your caring responsibilities:  This information should be added by your academic referee under the “Extenuating Circumstances” Section of the UCAS form.
  3. Use your Personal Statement: If appropriate, you may choose to discuss your caring responsibilities as part of your personal statement.
  4. Contact our dedicated Young Carers Adviser: Our team is here to help you with any queries you have about admissions, financial aid, or general support. You can reach out to the Young Carers Adviser at youngcarers@st-andrews.ac.uk

  Please note that to be considered for a contextual offer, you must declare your status at the point of application, via your UCAS form, or within 14 days of the application submission date.  The information provided at this point is that upon which we will assess your application, and where any academic adjustment to potential offer conditions will be made.  We are unable to apply this adjustment after this point.

• How to Verify your Young Carers Status

  To be considered as a Young Carer for admissions purposes we will require your caring responsibilities to be verified, and you should be Registered with your local care partnership or support charity.

  1. Applicants from Scotland can find details of their local care partnership here:  Carers' Centres - Scotland.
  2. Applicants from the Rest of the UK should request verification from their local support charity.
     
     

  Once we receive notification via your UCAS form of your status, we will contact you to request that you provide evidence as follows:

  1. A letter from your local support centre outlining your caring responsibilities and the impact this has on you and your education.
  2. If available, one of the following:
     1. Young Carers Registration Card
     2. Young Carers Assessment form
     3. Young Carers Grant award letter

  If we have not received your documents, or notification that you are in the process of obtaining them within 30 days of the initial request, your application will be assessed for admission without the Young Carer indicator.

• Financial Support for Young Carers

  At the University of St Andrews, we are committed to reducing the financial burden on young carers. We offer a variety of funding options, including:

  • SAAS: Applicants from Scotland should visit the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for details of how to apply for student funding.
  • Scholarships: University of St Andrews funding is available through our St Andrews Access Award and we encourage all applicants with caring responsibilities to apply.
  • Discretionary Fund: Additional financial support available for students during their studies in need of urgent assistance due to caring responsibilities.

• Support during Your Studies

  Support During Your Studies

  Once you are part of the University of St Andrews, we will continue to offer a wide range of support to help you balance your caring role with your academic life.

  • Student Services: Our dedicated team offers practical and emotional support, including academic guidance, well-being services, and mental health resources. A specialist adviser for young carers will be available to work with you on your specific needs.
  • Study Support Options: We recognise that caring responsibilities can be unpredictable, so we aim to offer support to navigate the balance between your studies and your responsibilities
  • Financial Support: In addition to any general financial aid, you may qualify for support from our Money Advice Team, such as Discretionary or Short-Term loan funds.