CPD Resource
Care-experienced and estranged students
Learn more about Care-experienced and estranged students
See how each Russell Group university defines care-experienced and estranged students and the support available,
Care-experienced and Estranged Students: Definitions and Support Across Russell Group Universities
Use the accordions below to explore definitions, eligibility criteria, and key support links from each university. This resource is designed for teachers, advisers, and students seeking clear guidance on accessing tailored support in higher education.
Please check individual university websites for the most up to date information.
Helpful Guides & Downloads
Browse practical guides, toolkits, and insights to help support independent students — including care-experienced and estranged learners.
Explore definitions and key links by our University Partners
University of Birmingham
Definitions
Care Leaver: A young person over the age of 16 who has been in care of the local authority and/or Health and Social Care Trust for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14.
Care Experienced: An individual who has been in care at any stage in their life, no matter how short a period.
Estranged: A young person who has no communicative relationship with either of their biological parents/legal guardians and who does not expect this situation to be reconciled.
Key links
University of Bristol
Definitions
Care Leaver: Students who have been in local authority care for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 and are still in care on their 16th birthday.
Care Experienced: students who have spent 3 months or more in formalised* local authority care (at any age).
*Students who have spent time being cared for by a relative or friend without a formal arrangement, such as a Special Guardianship Order, are classified as having been in ‘Kinship Care’. At the University of Bristol, informal kinship care, does not fit our definition of ‘care experienced’, however, it might fall into the category of ‘Estrangement’.
Estranged: Students who are aged under 25 who have no communication with either of their parents.
Key links
University of Cambridge
Definitions
Care Leaver: A care leaver is a young person who meets all of the below:
- they've have been in the care of, or have been given accommodation by, their local authority
- their time in care lasted at least 13 weeks
- their time in care ended after they turned 16
- in most cases, they've not returned to the care of their parent(s) prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course
Care Experienced: Being care-experienced means you have been placed in foster care, a residential home, formal kinship care or have been looked after at home under a supervision order.
Estranged: Being estranged means having had no contact with your parents or carer(s) for at least 12 months, which is unlikely to change. This is due to a permanent breakdown in your relationship with your biological, step or adoptive parents.
Key links
Cardiff University
Definitions
Care Leaver: Been in the care of your local authority for at least 13 weeks at any time since the age of 14 (the 13 weeks does not need to have been all one go). This care will have finished on, or after, your 16th birthday.
Care Experienced: Someone who has spent any amount of time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally without local authority support.
Estranged: A person who no longer has the support of their parents, and often also other family members, due to a permanent breakdown in their relationship which has led to ceased contact. This might mean your biological, step or adoptive parents or wider family members who have been responsible for supporting you in the past.
Key links
Durham University
Definitions
Care Leaver: Subject to certain exceptions, students will be assessed as care leavers if:
- They've have been in the care of, or have been given accommodation by, their local authority
- Their time in care lasted at least 13 weeks
- Their time in care ended after they turned 16
- In most cases, they've not returned to the care of their parent(s) prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course
- They are under 25.
Care Experienced:
Someone who, at any stage of their life, and for any length of time, has been in care e.g. looked after by the local authority. This definition has been agreed in partnership with NERAP as part of the Care Leaver Covenant.
Estranged: Undergraduate students who have been assessed as estranged by Student Finance England (or equivalent in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales). Students will be assessed as estranged if:
- They have not communicated with their parents for at least one year before the beginning of the academic year
- They can demonstrate that they are permanently estranged from their parents
- They are under 25.
Key links
University of Edinburgh
Definitions
Care Leaver:
Care Experienced: If you are care experienced, you may be or have been in the following:
- residential care
- foster care
- kinship care
- living at home with a supervision order
If you are adopted but you have been in local authority care, then we also define you as care experienced.
Estranged: We define you as an estranged student if all three of the following apply:
- you have no contact with your family or guardians
- you have neither financial nor emotional support from your family or guardians
- you are under the age of 25 years old at the start of your degree
Key links
University of Exeter
Definitions
Care Leaver: We define a care leaver as a young person (up to the age of 25) who has been looked after by a UK local authority for more than 13 weeks since they were 14, including some time at age 16 or 17.
Care Experienced: Any student who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short. This care may have been provided in one of many different settings, such as in residential care, foster care, kinship care (includes both formal and informal), special guardianship, adoption or looked after at home with a supervision requirement.
Estranged: A young person (up to 25) who has little or no contact with their parents (either biological or adoptive) and that this is unlikely to change.
Key links
University of Glasgow
Definitions
Care Leaver:
Care Experienced: Anyone who is currently in care, or anyone who is from a looked-after background or who has been in care at any stage in their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked-after by a local authority. This care may have been provided in one of many different settings, such as in residential care, foster care, kinship care, or through being looked-after at home with a supervision requirement.
Estranged: Young people (up to age of c. 25) studying without the support of a family network, due to a breakdown in those relationships. Individuals in this position often have no contact at all with their family, or sporadic and conflictual contact.
Key links
Imperial College London
Definitions
Care Leaver: Someone who has been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14, and has been looked after at some time while 16 or 17.
Care Experienced: Spent time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends (e.g. a special guardianship order).
Estranged: Someone who no longer has the support of any of their parents (biological, step or adoptive parents or wider family members who have acted as primary care givers) due to a permanent breakdown in their relationship.
Key links
King's College London
Definitions
Care Leaver: The term care leaver refers to anyone who has been in care or from a looked-after background, for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14, and was in care on their 16th birthday. Individuals would also need to meet all the following eligibility criteria in order to receive additional support from King's:
- Under 25 at the start of your undergraduate course
- Assessed as a home fee payer
- Have lived in public care or as a looked-after child, including with foster carers under local authority care or in a residential children’s home
Care Experienced: Anyone who, at any stage in their life, for any length of time (no matter for how short a time period), has lived in public care or as a looked-after child, including with foster carers under local authority care, in a residential children’s home, or have been adopted after being in care.
Estranged: Someone aged 24 or under, who no longer has the support of their parents/caregivers due to an irreconcilable breakdown of their relationship. This might mean your biological or, if you have been adopted, your adoptive parents – whoever has been responsible for supporting you in the past. This involves having no verbal or written contact, usually for a minimum of 12 months. This definition also includes students who may have been disowned, or if both parents are deceased.
Key links
University of Leeds
Definitions
Care Leaver:
Care Experienced: You’ve spent any amount of time before the age of 16, either:
- living with foster carers under local authority care
- in residential care
- looked after at home under a supervision order
- in kinship care with relatives or friends.
Estranged: You’re not supported emotionally, physically or financially by your biological parents and have no communication with them.
Key links
University of Liverpool
Definitions
Care Leaver: A Care Leaver is any individual who has been in the care of the Local Authority for a period of 13 weeks or more which span their 16th birthday (Leaving Care Act 2000).
Care Experienced: A care experienced student is someone who has spent an amount of time under local authority care (e.g. foster care or residential children’s homes) who may not meet the definition of a care leaver.
Estranged: Estrangement means the student has little or no contact with their parents (either biological or adoptive) and this is unlikely to change.
Key links
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Definitions
Care Leaver:
Care Experienced: Anyone who is currently in care or has previously been in local authority or kinship care for any length of time at any point in their life. Kinship care includes informal arrangements, kinship foster carers, Child Arrangement Orders or Special Guardianship Orders.
Estranged: Young people aged 25 or below, studying without the support and approval of either parent due to a breakdown in their relationship.
Key links
University of Manchester
Definitions
Care Leaver: The term care leaver refers to a young person who was in Local Authority care (including but not limited to public care, foster care, semi-independent living or residential care homes) when coming to University and has been in care for a period of 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday; it does not include care workers or applicants who have been involved solely in the provision of care.
Care Experienced: Includes all students who can be reasonably verified as having been in care at any stage up to the age of 18 – and includes those who were adopted (from care) before the age of 18*.
*We recognise kinship care as being a significant source of care within the UK Care System, and that many young people in Kinship Care have a care order and/or are known to the local authority. Your local authority will need to provide a letter to evidence this in order to be eligible for the Sadler Bursary.
Estranged: You’ve not communicated with your parents for one year before the start of the academic year that you’re applying for student finance, or you can demonstrate you’re permanently estranged from your parents.
Key links
Newcastle University
Definitions
Care Leaver:
Care Experienced: Someone who, at any stage of their life, and for any length of time, has been in care e.g., looked after by the local authority. This includes the following:
- Spent time in the care of the local authority (e.g. foster care or children’s home)
- Privately fostered
- ‘Looked after at home’ under a supervision order
- In kinship foster care (where a friend or family member becomes the foster carer).
- Kinship care through a formal arrangement, recognised by a Local Authority, and could be prior to a Special Guardianship Order.
Estranged: An estranged young person, who no longer has the support of your family due to a breakdown in the relationship which has led to ceased contact. This might mean your biological, step or adoptive parents, or wider family members who have been responsible for supporting you in the past.
Key links
University of Nottingham
Definitions
Care Leaver: Be currently or have been in public care for a minimum period of three months, since your 16th Birthday; if you were under special guardianship or kinship care during this period may also qualify.
Care Experienced: Someone who, at any point in their life, has spent 13 weeks or more in Local Authority care (for example a care home or foster care), or being looked after by relatives who have a court order to look after you in the UK (for example under a Special Guardianship Order, Child Arrangement Order or Child Residence Order), or being looked after by family or friends in an informal or private arrangement, without a court order, for 13 weeks or more
Estranged: You could be considered to be an estranged student if you haven’t had any contact with both of your parents for 12 months or more; or your relationship with your parents has broken down within the last 12 months and you don’t expect this to change in the near future.
Key links
University of Oxford
Definitions
Care Leaver:
Care Experienced: Those who have spent any amount of time in the care of the local authority care, such as through foster care, children’s homes, or a supervision order, or who have spent time in kinship care.
Estranged: Estrangement means the student has little or no contact with their parents (either biological or adoptive) and this is unlikely to change.
Key links
Queen Mary University of London
Definitions
Care Leaver: A young person who has been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14.
Care Experienced: Refers to anyone who has been, or is currently, in care. This care may have been provided in many different settings, including living with foster carers; living in a residential children's home; being looked after at home under a supervision order; living with friends or relatives in kinship care.
Estranged: Students aged 18 to 24 who are not communicating with either of their parents due to an irreconcilable breakdown in the relationship with
them.
Key links
Queen's University Belfast
Definitions
Care Leaver:
Care Experienced: Students who were in the care of a Health and Social Care Trust or Local Authority for three months or more at any time.
Estranged:
Key links
University of Sheffield
Definitions
Care Leaver: You should be recognised by your Local Authority as a 'care leaver', or were in the past. Have been looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14, and were looked after by the local authority at school-leaving age or after that date.
Care Experienced: You should’ve lived in public care or as a looked-after child at any stage of your life up to the age of 18, including if you:
- Were adopted from care or left care with a Special Guardianship Order before the age of 18
- Lived with foster carers or in a residential children's home
- Have been looked after under a supervision order; or
- Have lived with friends or relatives in formal kinship care under a Local Authority but are not currently recognised by your Local Authority as a care leaver in receipt of statutory support
Estranged: Estranged students have no relationship with, or support from, their parent(s) or carer(s). We'll consider you an estranged student if:
- You haven't communicated with your parents for 12 months prior to the start of your degree course and the situation is irreconcilable; or
- Both your biological or adoptive parents are deceased; or
- Your parents can't be traced or it isn't practicable or safe for you to make contact with them
Key links
University of Southampton
Definitions
Care Leaver: A young person who has been in UK local authority care, including supported accommodation schemes such as Foyers or under a Special Guardianship Order, for 3 months or more since the age of 14.
Care Experienced: Anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked-after background at any stage in their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked-after.
Estranged: Students who are under 25 years old and are studying without the support of their family. Estranged students typically have no contact with their parents (either biological or adoptive) and sometimes with their wider family for a variety of reasons.
Key links
University College London (UCL)
Definitions
Care Leaver: Be aged under 25 on the day your course starts and have been in the care of, or been given accommodation by, their local authority (LA) for a period of at least 13 weeks before the age of 16, and not have reconciled with their parents between leaving care and starting their course.
Care Experienced: A student is considered care-experienced if a local authority has looked after you for three months (not consecutively).
Estranged: Be permanently estranged from both parents with no support from, or contact with, either parent for at least a year and whilst undertaking the qualifications that you are using to meet UCL’s entry requirements.
Key links
University of Warwick
Definitions
Care Leaver: This means that you are aged 16-25 and have been in the care of your local authority for at least 13 weeks at any time since the age of 14, including some time after your 16th birthday. This care may have been provided in many different settings, including:
- Living with foster carers
- Living in a residential children's home
- Being looked after at home under a supervision order
- Living with relatives in kinship care or under a guardianship agreement
Care Experienced: This means that you have been looked after for at least 3 months at any point in your childhood. This care may have been provided in many different settings, including:
- Living with foster carers
- Living in a residential children's home
- Being looked after at home under a supervision order
- Living with relatives in kinship care or under a guardianship agreement
Estranged: An 'estranged student' is a young person under the age of 25 who is studying without the support and approval of both of their parents due to a breakdown in their relationship – this might be their birth, step or adoptive parents, and sometimes their wider family members. Students in this situation are able to apply to Student Finance England (or equivalent student finance bodies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) as ‘Independent and Estranged’. You could apply for student finance as an estranged student if:
- You haven’t had any contact with both of your parents for 12 months or more; or
- Your relationship with both of your parents has broken down within the last 12 months and you don’t expect this to change in the near future.
Key links
University of York
Definitions
Care Leaver: You're a 'care leaver' if you've been in the care of your local authority for at least 13 weeks since your 14th birthday, ending on or after your 16th birthday. The 13 weeks don't have to have been all in one go.
Care Experienced: You're 'care experienced' if you've ever been in care, or are currently in care, even if you don't have 'care leaver' status. This care may have been provided in many settings, including:
- Living with foster carers
- Living in a residential children's home
- Being looked after at home under a supervision order
- Living with relatives in kinship care or under a guardianship agreement
Care-experienced people could have spent any length of time in care, at any age.
Estranged: You haven’t had any contact with both of your parents for 12 months or more, or your relationship with both of your parents has broken down within the last 12 months and you don’t expect this to change in the near future.
Key links