Information for estranged students

All you need to know to apply to King’s when you do not have family support

What do we mean by ‘estranged’?

At King’s College London we recognise that having no communicative relationship with either of your biological parents can have a significant impact on educational opportunities and outcomes. Therefore we provide pre-entry and on-course support to students who have lost family contact and are no longer supported by their families. It is possible to claim independent status with Student Finance due to estrangement from parents. In this case, your personal household income will be taken into consideration for the means-tested elements, instead of your parents’ income. For more information about proving independent status, visit: http://standalone.org.uk/guides/student-guide/

Pre-entry support with application If you need help with your personal statement, navigating UCAS, or improving your interview skills contact our designated member of staff, Anne-Marie Henderson, who can give you 1:1 advice on how to write a competitive application (contact details on the back)

Tips for applications 1. Ensure that your teacher reference gives additional information and provides context about your family situation 2. If needed, fill in the mitigating circumstances form 3. Agree to get means-tested to get available financial support 4. Contact the universities’ Widening Participation Department

Financial support

nYou can apply for a student loan from Student Finance to cover your tuition fees, which you will start paying back once you are earning over £21,000

nYou will be eligible for the Care Leavers and Estranged Students Bursary, King’s Living Bursary and King’s Hardship Fund. For more information visit www.kcl.ac.uk/estranged

Accommodation

nThe UNITE Accommodation & Access Bursary fully covers housing costs for selected estranged students. For application information please visit the estranged section of our website

nWe offer affordable 52-week lets (including summer months)

nWe also have a King’s Affordable Accommodation Scheme (KAAS) which subsidises accommodation across all King’s residences

Personal support

nOur designated member of staff can answer all your questions and help with your smooth transition to higher education

nOur Wellbeing and Counselling teams provide emotional support throughout your time at King’s College London

nYou can also be matched with a buddy in your first year, who is a fellow student and can help you with the transition to university

Academic & career support

nAll students are allocated a personal tutor within their department who will be your first point of contact

nThroughout your studies, a dedicated career advisor will be there to help you with internships, job opportunities and employability skills

Applying to university was a hard decision because whether I studied or not depended highly on what kind of support my prospective university gave me. When I made my application, I was not sure whether I would be able to afford university education or not but the Widening Participation staff were very helpful and supported me. They told me about the scholarships and finance options I had. I was guaranteed 52 weeks accommodation for the duration of my course, and this was a huge relief since I did not have to look for guarantor-based accommodation. They also guided me about student ambassador jobs which would further support me not only for my

finances but also improve my confidence. Something I would recommend is to let

your tutors and WP staff know about your situation, and you will be able

to get the best possible support from all sides. King’s has supported me in every way it possibly could have! All you need to do is ASK!!

–First year student at King’s College London

KCL Residences – Moonraker Point in Zone 1

Do you have any other questions?Contact Anne-Marie Henderson outreach@kcl.ac.uk or 020 7848 3948

Do you need more detailed information?

Check out the King’s College London Widening Participation website for more details: www.kcl.ac.uk/estranged

Would you like to participate in a class or visit our campus?

You can attend our taster sessions, open days or book a campus tour:www.kcl.ac.uk/study/visit/university-of-london-events.aspxwww.kcl.ac.uk/study/visit/undergraduate-open-dayswww.kcl.ac.uk/study/visit/campus-tours.aspx

Where else can you get information about the available support for estranged students?

Standalone charity standalone.org.uk

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