I'm an estranged student; how can King's support me throughout my studies?

At King’s College London, we recognise that being estranged can have a significant impact on your experience at university. King’s assists undergraduate students who have lost family contact and are no longer supported by their families through a series of supported measures to facilitate a successful transition into, throughout and beyond your time at university. To access the support provided to estranged undergraduate students at King’s, your estranged status must be verified by King’s.

Important to know: The information on this webpage is only applicable for current King's students. If you have been offered a place to study at King's, but have not started your course yet, or you are looking to apply to King's, please follow the pre-entry guidance for estranged students.

Verification process at King's

As part of your enrolment/re-enrolment at King’s, you’ll need to verify your estranged status with us. For more information on how to complete the verification process, visit our article I need to get verified by King's as an estranged student. You will be required to complete an online form and upload supporting documentation.

If you have already been verified by King's as an estranged student, you do not need to complete the verification task.

The remainder of this article will provide an overview of the support available at King’s for estranged students throughout the duration of your studies.

Financial support

At King's, we offer several bursaries which estranged students from the UK are eligible for:

Care-experienced and Estranged Student Bursary

The Care-experienced and Estranged Student Bursary is £1000 per academic year and is available for care-experienced, care leavers and estranged undergraduate students who have been verified by King's. Please contact your Faculty Wellbeing Advisor for further information.

King's Living Bursary

The King's Living Bursary is open to every full-time, home, first-degree student. This bursary is awarded on a means-tested household income basis and will be automatically allocated to eligible students. The bursary is worth up to £1600 per academic year.

King's Student Fund

The King's Student Fund is a limited discretionary fund to assist students on low incomes who may need financial support for their course and to stay in higher education. Students can apply to this fund when facing financial hardship. To find our more information about the fund, please visit King's Student Fund.

Accommodation Support

52-week accommodation contracts

We appreciate that securing safe, year-round accommodation is often a concern for many students who are estranged from their parents. We therefore offer 52-week accommodation contracts in specific halls.

Important to know: If you choose not to apply for a 52-week contract or you are currently staying in a residence which does not offer 52-week contracts, you may need to move rooms and/or residence over the summer term. For more information on accommodation at King's, visit King's Residences.

Guaranteed accommodation in King's residences for all years of undergraduate study

We offer estranged students the option to secure guaranteed accommodation in a King’s residential hall for all years of their undergraduate study. Find out more about our King's accommodation via King's Residences.

Important to know: You must ensure your hall fees are up to date and have no conduct issues before you can book a room for the next academic year. If you are experiencing issues with payment, please contact your faculty wellbeing advisor for support.

King's Affordable Accommodation Scheme (KAAS)

Estranged students are also eligible for the King’s Affordable Accommodation Scheme (KAAS), which caps the price of eligible accommodation provided by King's £169 per week. If you have been verified by King’s, you will automatically be assigned the KAAS rate and will be able to book a room capped at £169 in eligible halls. For more information on KAAS, please visit King's Affordable Accommodation Scheme.

Important to know: All KAAS students are not required to pay the pre-payment of rent.

Unite Scholarship

Available to estranged students, King’s has partnered with the Unite Foundation, which affords estranged students the opportunity to apply for the Unite Scholarship. Being awarded this scholarship allows care leaver students to reside for free in one of the Unite halls of residence for up to 3 years of study, including the holiday periods.

Please visit the Unite Foundation website for further information.

Pastoral Support

All estranged students are assigned a designated Faculty Wellbeing Advisor who can assist you with initial inductions into the university, and can help to connect you to any additional support you may need during your studies.

Your Faculty Wellbeing Advisor will contact you via email to introduce themselves at the beginning of the academic year and will regularly check in with during your studies. You can also arrange follow-up appointments as you need.

Your Faculty Wellbeing Advisor can also act as your first point of contact if you’re unsure who else to speak with at King’s. You will need to attend an initial appointment with your Faculty Wellbeing Adviser to initiate your care-experienced bursary payment.

If you are unsure who your Faculty Wellbeing Advisor is, you can contact studentwellbeingandwelfare@kcl.ac.uk.

Academic Support

All students at King's are allocated a Personal Tutor from within their Department or School. To learn more about this, visit our article Who is my personal tutor & what do they do?. Estranged students will be allocated their department Senior Tutor or a similarly experienced personal tutor, who will act as point of contact throughout their time at King’s.

Personal tutors are provided with additional training to better support the needs of students estranged from their parents and can provide further support with academic struggles, if required. Your estranged status is not disclosed to your personal tutor.

When you first meet with your Faculty Wellbeing Advisor, they will discuss if there is anything you think it would be helpful to share with your personal tutor, to enable them to best support your academic progress.

Careers Support

Our Careers and Employability team at King's can help you with finding a part time job, internship and graduate opportunities, and with gaining employability skills throughout your studies.

Estranged students are eligible to access Careers+ which provides you with access to:

Longer Career Coaching and Planning appointments with specialist Careers Consultant
Dedicated KEATS resources for care-experienced and care leaver students
Extended access to King’s Careers & Employability two years after graduation
Access to career development opportunities as part of our Careers+ programme.
These vary each year and can include careers mentoring or places on internship schemes.
Drop-in sessions with a Careers Consultant

To sign up for Careers+, please visit King's CareerConnect.

Personal Support

Advice and Guidance Team

Advice Services provide free and confidential advice on a range of topics, including money and housing. Take a look at what student support services are available for more details on the support they provide.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

The Counselling and Mental Health Support Service offer free, confidential support to all students at King's. For more information on how the Counselling and Mental Health Support Service can support you during this time, read these top tips on managing your mental health & wellbeing.

Opportunities and wider support

Bespoke 'Ahead Together' newsletter

Each month from October-May, estranged students receive a bespoke newsletter. This contains a comprehensive list of internal and external opportunities and events that you are prioritised for, and practical information needed to support your academic, professional, and personal development.

Enrolment on King's Plus

First-year estranged students are automatically enrolled onto the new King's Plus programme, designed to support undergraduate students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented at university as you transition into university life. Through events and sessions held throughout the year, you can connect, build networks, and enhance your experience at King's.

Broadening Horizons Bursary

Estranged students are prioritised for the Broadening Horizons Bursary (up to £900), which aims to increase the number of care-experienced, care leaver and estranged students who can access global mobility (study abroad) opportunities.

Graduation Support Package

We understand that attending graduation is a significant milestone for estranged students. We offer a complimentary graduation support package that removes any financial barriers to attend this celebration, including free gown hire, free guest tickets, and a free photography package.

The Buddy Scheme

The Buddy Scheme is organised by the King’s College London Students’ Union (KCLSU) to help incoming first-year estranged students form friendships and find communities through being matched up with current students in their second year or above. Buddy Mentors are there to answer their Mentee’s questions and signpost to useful resources. To find out more about the Buddy Scheme or if you are interested in becoming a Mentor or Mentee, please email peersupport@kclsu.org

External resources for help and support

Below you'll find a list of useful external links where you can find more information about support and advice for care-experienced and care leaver students:

Unite Foundation, This Is Us Community: The foundation provides a platform for care-experienced and estranged students in Higher Education to connect with each other and join a social network with other people from similar backgrounds.
EaCES (Estranged and Care Estranged Students): A resource space that signposts to higher education support and guidance in an accessible way to care experienced, care leavers and estranged students.
U-Belong: This resource, created by students, researchers, and professionals, offers tailored tools and resources to guide you through your university journey as a care-experienced or estranged student.

Keywords: estranged students widening participation