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 support available for this vulnerable student group, current policies and services universities have in place and where improvements can be made to support estranged students' success at university.

We are very pleased to welcome our speakers for this event:

• Susan Mueller, HE Director of Stand Alone, who support and raise awareness for people estranged from their family
• Jelisha Catnott, Student Support and Welfare Manager at Brunel University London, a ProtectED Founder Member institution
• Helen Arber, Head of Operations at Unite Foundation, providing university scholarship support for care leavers and estranged young people.

The panel will discuss the need for support from organisations such as Stand Alone and the Unite Foundation, how estranged students navigate needing a guarantor, and the processes and practices universities have developed to support estranged students throughout term time and holiday periods.

We will also discuss student retention, exploring measures that can be introduced to reduce the number of estranged students leaving their courses early, or having to defer their studies. Our speakers will also share their thoughts and insights on future university support for this vulnerable student group.