Care leavers

• You will be given priority in choice of University accommodation (please ensure your accommodation application arrives ahead of the deadline) and do not have to pay the pre-payment of £550 to secure your accommodation as part of your online acceptance.
• Accommodation is available on a 52-week basis for the duration of your course. There will be social events throughout each holiday period should you wish to join.
• Complimentary welcome packages will be provided if you move into University owned accommodation, including bedding, saucepans and other useful products.
• Advice and guidance are available from University accommodation mentors. All our student mentors are fully trained and available to help you from the moment you know you’re coming to Birmingham, to when you move in and throughout your time with us.

• If you’re looking to get a job whilst studying, you are guaranteed to receive an interview for the role of Student Ambassador within Student Recruitment and Outreach. This offers you regular paid work throughout the year which you can fit around your studies.
• The university has other bursaries available to enable students to undertake internships, work experience or overseas placements and care leavers are prioritised for all funding sources. Students who disclose on their UCAS form at the time of applying that they are in or have been in care will be reviewed for any relevant bursaries.

As a care leaver, you are eligible for a contextual offer which is an entry offer normally one grade lower than the typical entry offer shown on our course pages or in our prospectus, but can differ depending on the subject you would like to study.

The Outreach team provides a variety of free events and activities, to help you while deciding what or where to study and gain insight into university life. Care leavers are given priority allocation on all of our programmes including:

• A Year 12 subject-based transitional programme - Routes to the Professions (R2P)
• A Year 12 summer school - National Access Summer School (NASS)
• A Year 13 transitional programme - Access to Birmingham (A2B)

Students who complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme and apply to the University of Birmingham will receive special consideration from admissions tutors. If their application is successful, they will receive two offers from the University of Birmingham - the standard offer and a Pathways to Birmingham offer. The Pathways to Birmingham offer is typically two grades below the standard offer, as advertised in the prospectus. Students may also be eligible to receive the Pathways to Birmingham financial support.

• We encourage you to attend our care leavers events (during National Care Leavers Week) specifically designed for care-experienced students.
• Access our Skills4uni online study skills resource. It is there to help you with your Year 12 and 13 studies and preparation for university and includes revision techniques, note-taking, finding information, and referencing styles.
• You can contact the single point of contact by emailing Alice Smyj at a.v.smyj@bham.ac.uk for any support and guidance, including support with your personal statement, making arrangements to visit campus, or applying to Student Finance.

• You’ll automatically become a Birmingham Scholar and have access to enhanced support from the University’s careers and academic skills teams, as well as access to Birmingham Scholars-only jobs, study abroad and work experience opportunities.
• You have access to our award-winning Careers Network which will support you with planning for a successful career upon graduation and with accessing national-award-winning internships and placements in the UK and overseas.
• You can join the Care Experience focus group. This is a group of students from across all year groups who come together with the Outreach team to provide guidance on how we can improve what we do for care-experienced students. Students also get a great opportunity to meet and connect with other students with shared experiences.
• You can attend our Pathways to Birmingham induction day before starting the main University Welcome Week (even if you didn’t complete a programme). This is an opportunity to meet other students who will also be starting at the University the following week.
• You can have regular contact from your college wellbeing officer who can provide practical and emotional support if you are experiencing personal problems, particularly when these might interfere with your academic work.
• We work closely with the Ree’s Foundation to create a lifelong support network and achieve your goals. They can offer you help and advice about any concerns and are always happy to listen.

The Enhanced Chamberlain Award is available to help you fund your accommodation. If you opt to live in University-owned accommodation, you can choose to receive your Chamberlain Award as a £9,395 accommodation fee waiver. This is the maximum accommodation fee waiver that you can claim; if you choose to live in more expensive accommodation, you will need to fund the difference yourself. If you choose to live elsewhere, you can receive this award as a £3,000 cash bursary. Please note: care leavers who have subsequently been adopted would not normally be eligible for this award.

We also offer the Care Leavers Scholarships, which are cash bursaries of £2,000 per academic year and £500 on graduation after successful completion of your programme. A minimum of two scholarships are awarded each year.