We hope that students in care or who have previously been in care will think seriously about the opportunities offered in Higher Education, and perhaps here at the University of Cambridge. For general information about the opportunities and support for care-leavers in higher education, the Propel website (see link below) is a good place to start, and explains a lot of the really important points for care leavers.
If you are interested in studying at Cambridge specifically, there are a range of resources on the University website which give you more information about available support for care leavers, open days and application help. Please see the links below for more information.
As you find out more about studying Cambridge, you will find out about the College system. Like all of the other Cambridge Colleges, here at King's we welcome applications from students who have lived in care. We know that researching higher education and thinking about what you want for your future can feel overwhelming, and we also know that for all sorts of reasons, students with excellent academic potential don't always feel confident to make the applications that they should when they have spent time in care.
If you feel that this applies to you, do get in touch with us. We're keen to find out what you're interested in studying at Cambridge (if you've chosen a subject) and we'll do our best to make sure that you have all the information you need. If you're a UK student, don't assume that you can't afford to go to University, for example - we'll be able to explain how tuition fees and financial support work. Some of you may have questions about particular courses we offer, or want to know about how we assess academic potential and take disruptions or distractions from your education into account when we consider your application, and we'll be happy to discuss the support we can offer to successful students once you are living and studying here (e.g. you can stay in your accommodation during the vacations etc.).
To enable applicants to come to interview in Cambridge, all Cambridge Colleges are pleased to provide support for travel costs to students who are in local authority care and who attend a UK maintained sector school / college. Public transport travel costs between £20 and £80 will be reimbursed, and the Colleges will contact eligible applicants directly with further information when they’re invited to interview.
