Experience Uni

Curious about university? Get a taster of student life with Experience Uni.

Experience Uni is a free residential for care-experienced young people aged 14-17. Join us for two days of hands-on activities and exciting workshops, plus an overnight stay in your very own room on UEA's award-winning campus.

When? 21-22 July 2026

Where? UEA campus, Norwich

What is Experience Uni?

Experience Uni is a completely free residential at the University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts. You'll spend two days discovering student life at two Norwich-based universities, staying overnight in real student accommodation with your very own en-suite room.

It's your chance to give student life a try, find out more about university, and explore the different support available for care-experienced students. Experience Uni is all about building your confidence and empowering you to choose your own path for the future, with friendly UEA students and staff on hand throughout.

How do I sign up?

You'll need to complete a short sign-up form, which will be available on this webpage when sign-ups open in April 2026.

When is it?

Experience Uni takes place during the first week of the Summer holidays, from Tuesday 21 to Wednesday 22 July 2026.

Can I apply?

Applications for Uni Unlocked 2026 will open in April.

Experience Uni is designed for care experienced students aged 14-17. Being care experienced means you will have spent time:

• Living with foster carers or under local authority care, or

• In residential care (e.g. a children's home), or

• Looked after at home under a supervision order, or

• In kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally without local authority support

So, you can apply for Experience Uni if you you meet the following criteria:

• You are care experienced

• You will be between 14 and 17 years old at the time of the event

• You live within a reasonable travel distance of Norwich
  

How do I apply?

Applications will open in April 2026.

To apply, you'll need to complete a short online sign-up form which will be available on this webpage.

If you’re eligible, then you’ll be considered for a place on Experience Uni. If we receive more applications than there are spaces, then spaces will be allocated randomly to eligible applicants . If you’ve not been randomly selected, we’ll place you on a waiting list and you may be able to join the activity if someone else drops out.

Frequently asked questions

Got questions?

If you have any questions about Experience Uni, please email Liz at includingme@uea.ac.uk.