Education and work

School or college

All children in care and care leavers are entitled to receive the 16-19 education bursary while completing a further education course at school sixth-form or at college. This support might continue to be available beyond 19 on a ‘discretionary’ basis. 

The bursary is a maximum £1200 per year, and might be given as payments direct to the young person (often in instalments during the year) or as assistance with the costs of the course (e.g. lunch vouchers, travel pass, books and course equipment). Click here for more information.

Care leavers who wish to continue studying beyond 19, or who wish to return to study before they are 25 are entitled to some support and assistance as follows:

  • Check the local authority “local offer” and financial policy for care leavers to find out what support the local authority will give with travel costs and course equipment costs.
  • Eligibility to claim Universal Credit while studying in Further Education.
University

Care leavers who would like to go into Higher Education are entitled to support from Student Finance, their local authority and the university:

  • As ‘independent students’, care leavers can apply for the maximum amount of student finance to help them pay for accommodation and living expenses.  The loan is repayable. You cannot claim Universal Credit while studying at university.
  • Universities often have bursaries for care leavers. These do not have to be repaid.
  • There is extra support available when you are at university. Tick the box on your UCAS application form to say that you have spent time in care and you will get access to this support.
  • Check the local authority “local offer” and financial policy for care leavers to find out what support the local authority will give with accommodation and living costs while at university. Ask for it to be written into the Pathway Plan.
  • All care leavers are entitled to a one-off Higher Education bursary of £2000 from their local authority.  This is sometimes paid in instalments. 

See Propel for information about university and financial support available: Propel

Employment

There are some new initiatives to support care leavers with finding employment:

  • In August 2018 the government launched the Care Leavers’ Apprenticeship Bursary, which gives care leavers a one-off payment of £1000 to help them make the transition into the workplace.
  • In October 2018 the government launched the Care Leaver Covenant with an aim to create 10,000 work opportunities for care leavers over 10 years.  Government departments and businesses can sign up to the covenant with a commitment to provide care leavers with apprenticeship and work experience opportunities.

There are a number of charities in the UK who provide grants to care leavers to support them with education and employment costs.  These include:

  • The Care Leavers Foundation
  • The Unite Foundation
  • Buttle UK
  • The Spark Foundation

See Turn2Us to search for grants.