Supporting Estranged Students' Success

'Estranged Students' are young people studying at university without the support and sometimes the approval of a family network. Such students often have no contact with their family. Research from Ipsos MORI suggests that 1 in 5 families in the UK will be affected by estrangement.

Research from University of Cambridge suggests the most common causes of family estrangement are emotional abuse, physical abuse, or actions derived from values and religious beliefs — such as arranged marriage or not accepting LGBTQI+ family members. Some estranged students may have been disowned for pursuing their education against the wishes of their family.

There are currently over 9,000 students in the UK that are considered Estranged Students. The shift in focus to improve access to higher education by disadvantaged students and those from a non-traditional background has enabled more estranged students than ever to attend university.

This ProtectED Reflections event will discuss the…