Support for young adult carers

Our City Cares team provides financial, pastoral, and educational support to students who have unpaid caring responsibilities, from application stage through to graduation and searching for employment.

We recognise that juggling caring responsibilities with studying can be challenging and is likely to place additional pressures on you. Caring responsibilities may have an impact on your financial situation, your own physical and mental health, your academic attainment (you may find yourself missing classes and deadlines) and your relationships.

We are committed to supporting you with difficulties you might have so that you can make the most of your time here. City Cares is a service which offers a range of support to help you navigate the ups and downs of your student journey from enrolment to graduation.

By receiving specific updates from the Designated Member of Staff on support available, especially amid the pandemic, City Cares has made life a little bit less stressful.

Who is a young adult carer?

Young adult carers are young people aged 16-25 who care, unpaid, for a family member, dependant or friend with a long-term illness or disability, mental health condition, or who misuses drugs or alcohol.

Pre-entry support

City offers pre-entry advice and guidance through the Widening Participation Outreach team. There are a range of events and activities on offer for students thinking about university as well as for those who would like more support in preparing them for university.

As a young adult carer you are guaranteed access to pre-entry support such as application advice, 1:1 bespoke visit days, pre-induction events and taster weeks.

• Widening Participation Outreach activities for schools and colleges
• Widening Participation Outreach taster weeks

If we don't know that you are a young adult carer, we can't offer you extra help. We recommend that you tick the box on the UCAS form to disclose that you are a young adult carer.

Financial support

• City Cares Bursary – undergraduate young adult carers who meet the eligibility criteria will be awarded up to £3,500 each year of their studies for up to three years.
• Hardship Fund – students who find themselves in financial hardship can apply for the Hardship Fund. Young adult carers are eligible for support of up to £2,500.
• Graduation package – young adult carers who complete their final year of undergraduate studies are eligible for a financial package to aid with graduation costs and life after City.

On-course support

City Cares helps students transition to university life, provides advice and guidance whilst studying with us and supports students to prepare for life after graduation.

• A Designated Member of Staff to support you throughout your time at City by being your first point of contact.
• As a young adult carer you are prioritised for City's partner student accommodation throughout your undergraduate degree provided you have City as your firm choice by the UCAS deadline. We work closely with City's Accommodation Advisers to ensure you are allocated accommodation that best meets your needs, including out of term time.
• All young adult carers receive priority access for counselling services.
• CityBuddies peer mentoring: First year young adult carer undergraduate students are prioritised when being paired with a second or third year student from the same course (where possible) to help with settling into student life.
• Support with academic skills, attend workshops and 1-1 sessions to make sure that you're getting the most out of your studies. City Cares students have increased access.
• Second and third year undergraduate young adult carers will be guaranteed an interview and given priority for the professional mentoring scheme, an opportunity to receive mentoring with a person in industry.

Useful resources

• Carer's Trust – Provides funding and support to local carer networks to raise awareness and influence policy affecting Carers.
• UCAS Young Adult Carers – Comprehensive guidance on the support you can receive as a young adult carer at University.

If you have any questions about the application process, would like to know more about City, University of London, or would like to arrange a visit to campus, please contact us.