Care Leaver Scholarship

The University of Birmingham is committed to supporting care leavers to attend university. It has created a scholarship for care leavers, recognising the particular personal, educational and financial challenges that this group experience in accessing higher education and, in particular, research-intensive universities. 

A minimum of two scholarship awards will be allocated in 2024-25 using a framework of considering applicants' experience, level of need and their likelihood of success. As a further commitment to diversity and inclusion, the University of Birmingham seeks to encourage students from a wide range of backgrounds, and this will be included in the consideration. This award is part of a wider package of services for care leavers that includes peer mentoring and additional support with issues such as accommodation and employability. 

 

Financial support available

For 2024-25, there are two Care Leaver Scholarships available which are intended to provide additional financial support for you while studying at University and beyond.

Each award includes:

  • £2,000 per academic year of your undergraduate programme paid in cash into your nominated bank account
  • £500 non-repayable graduation bursary paid on successful completion of your programme

Additional financial support is available from the University from the Enhanced Chamberlain Award which will further support you while you study.

Eligibility criteria

For the purposes of the Care Leaver Scholarship, the University defines a Care Leaver as a young person over the age of 16 who has been in the care of the local authority and/or Health & Social Care Trust for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14. 

Priority will be given to applicants who will not receive additional funding through another University scholarship or bursary (aside from the Enhanced Chamberlain Award). 

Application process

The application form is incorporated into the Enhanced Chamberlain Award application form.  Once you have completed the section for the Enhanced Chamberlain Award, you will be asked  to answer the following question for your application to the Care Leaver Scholarship.  

Please describe the disruption to your education as a result of your time in Care. For example, did you have moves between schools/colleges, or have poor support to attend school? Everyone’s experience is different, so please describe your experience of education and how being in care affected it.

We would like to assure candidates that any information submitted as part of the application process will be treated in the strictest confidence. We will not share your information with anybody other than relevant staff members at the University of Birmingham.

Contact information 

If you have any questions with regards to the Care Leaver Scholarship, you can contact the Funding, Graduation & Awards team at fga@contacts.bham.ac.uk. 

If you would like further information on the support available at the University, you can visit the Support for care leavers page.