This guide is written for foster carers in Wales who are in a position to support and encourage a young person in care who is thinking about applying, or has recently applied, to study at university. It provides practical information and guidance including information with regards to qualifications, choosing the right course, the UCAS application process, as well as financial, emotional, and general support. The guide also outlines care leaver’s support available from each university in Wales, and links to resources and websites detailing more information about student life.
The guidance will enable foster carers to provide the level of support that any good parent would want for any child – helping them to be happy, achieve educational success, and develop into successful adults.
Although its focus is on access to Higher Education, some of the information contained in the guide is equally applicable to young people studying in Further Education. Care leavers will always need their foster carer’s support regardless of what qualification they are studying for or working towards.
It is hoped that this guidance inspires both foster carers to be ambitious for the children they care for, and for the children and young people themselves to believe that they can aspire and achieve. Being in care should not be a barrier to going to university.
For more information, visit The Fostering Network ‘s education resources for foster carers.
