From Monday 25 November to Sunday 1 December the national Estranged Students Solidarity Week takes place, an opportunity to amplify and understand the experiences estranged students have during their educational journeys.
An estranged student is someone under 25 years old studying without the support and approval of their parents due to a breakdown in their relationship.
At the University of Southampton, colleagues from the Widening Participation and Social Mobility (WPSM) directorate work closely with the University community to ensure our students who are estranged feel a sense of belonging and are supported to achieve success. A key element of this is the package of support the Student Inclusion Team in the WPSM directorate provides to ensure estranged students get the most from their student experience. This includes:
- A Transition Day
- Support with moving costs to Southampton
- A Welcome Pack
- Access to 365 days accommodation
- Designated point of contact for 1:1 support
- A £2,000 annual bursary alongside other bespoke financial support
- Contextual admissions offer
This support will only have its maximum impact if the entire university community comes together to ensure our estranged students feel like they do belong here at Southampton. Therefore, we invite everyone at the University this Estranged Students Solidarity Week to take time to show solidarity with our estranged students by:
- Raising awareness about family estrangement (read the Hidden Voices report)
- Promoting the support available for estranged students (see our Student Inclusion Guide)
- Taking time to read The Estranged and Care Experienced Students (EaCES) Handbook (visit the EaCES page)
For more information about our work with estranged students contact Emma Woozeer, Access Manager (Ignite), WPSM [email protected]