Care Experienced and Estranged Students

UEA is committed to supporting students with experience of living in care and those with limited family support. Take a look at the opportunities and resources on offer.

We know that care experienced and estranged (CEES) students are likely to face unique challenges in applying to university and completing their studies. The events, opportunities, and resources on this page have been specifically designed to support CEES students throughout their UEA journey, from before you apply all the way through to graduation.

What does it mean to be care experienced or estranged?

Care experienced students have spent time during their childhood in the care of people other than their parents. This may include local authority foster or residential care, kinship care with other family members, and other arrangements.  Estranged students typically have no contact or limited contact with their birth or adoptive parents.

Visit the UCAS Individual Needs webpages for more information about being a student with experience of care or estrangement.

Supporting you throughout your UEA journey

Our support for care-experienced and estranged students can start before you've even made an application, and continues after you graduate. Click on any of the bullet points below to jump straight to that section, or keep reading to learn about all the support on offer.

Visit UEA

Book an individual visit to experience UEA your way. We'll pair you with a UEA Student Ambassador studying your subject of interest, so you can tailor your visit around what matters to you. Want a tour of teaching facilities? Curious about student accommodation? Need advice on student finance? We can make it all happen, you only need to ask.

Feel free to bring a friend, a teacher, a guardian, or fly solo. These visits are available year-round. Use the request form below to book your visit, or email includingme@uea.ac.uk with any questions.

You can also join us on campus for an Open Day or a campus tour, including self-guided options.

Prefer not to travel? Or want a preview before your visit? Check out our Virtual Open Day.

Funding and Finance

Eligible students will automatically receive UEA's Care Leavers and Estranged Students bursary. For students starting undergraduate courses in 2025-26, this bursary provides £3,000 per annum for up to four years of undergraduate study. Unlike a loan, a bursary is non-repayable, meaning you won't have to pay it back.

You can find full details, including eligibility criteria, on our Bursaries page.

If you are estranged from your parents and not receiving financial support from them, you can apply for Student Finance as an 'independent student'. To find out more about this process, check out the UCAS guide to financial support for estranged students.

Once you arrive at UEA, our specialise Student Life Finance team can help you with budgeting and finance advice throughout your studies.

CEES Network

UEA’s Care Experienced & Estranged Student (CEES) Network gives you access to information, support, and opportunities throughout your studies. Students who identify as care experienced or estranged through UCAS or in the University’s registration questionnaire will automatically receive email updates from the CEES Network about activities, opportunities, funding and more.

You can meet with us before beginning your studies and choose to stay in touch throughout your degree. With your consent, we can also liaise with local authority staff or support workers if needed.

What to expect from UEA and the CEES Network:

• Specific Welcome Week social events

• A welcome pack with some helpful items to get you started at UEA

• One-to-one appointments available throughout your studies

• Bursary and hardship funding for eligible students

• Regular updates about additional funding and job opportunities on campus

• Year-round campus accommodation available

• Support with costs of attending graduation

We also recognise that you may not want, or need, extra support during your studies, so engagement with the CEES Network is completely optional.

Accommodation

UEA accommodation is available year-round for students who require it, including over the summer break. It isn't limited to your first year of study either; if you'd like to remain in campus accommodation for your second or subsequent years of study, returner rooms are always available. Explore your options on our Accommodation page.

You could also choose to look for private rented accommodation in Norwich. This page has lots of guidance and advice, including information about guarantors. You may also wish to speak to the UEA Student Union Advice service, or an external service such as Citizens Advice.

Graduation

It might seem a long way off, but university graduation can present some financial barriers. UEA offers financial assistance with the costs associated with graduation, including gown hire and guest tickets, for care experienced and estranged students.

Get in touch

Got questions? Email cees@uea.ac.uk and our dedicated team will be happy to help. We welcome queries on all university-related topics including:

• Visiting UEA campus

• Personal statements

• UCAS and Clearing

• Finance and bursaries

• Getting ready to start your course

• What to expect when you arrive at UEA

• Accommodation

• UEA support services

• Student life at UEA

You can also book an informal online meeting with Liz, our dedicated Outreach Officer for care experienced and estranged students.

Alternatively, you can chat with Liz on Unibuddy.

Care Leaver Covenant

UEA is a proud signatory of the Care Leaver Covenant. Find out more about the Covenant, and UEA’s commitment to our care experienced community, at our Covenant webpage