A free home at university remains at the heart of our work. Students on our scholarship say a safe and stable home at university means they make the most of the university experience, and independent data says the same.  Scholarship students don’t drop out like unsupported care experienced or estranged students; they complete their courses and achieve good degrees.  What we do works.

In the 2025-8 period, we are building the evidence base for a #HomeAtUniversity and advocating for availability of student outcomes data across the sector. We are developing a sustainable model for our scholarships to maintain the number we offer each year.  After two successful pilots, our university partners will now be able utilise their own accommodation for scholarship students, bringing much-needed charitable money directly to sector providers.

We will grow the breadth and depth of accommodation support for all care experienced and estranged students in universities, and from student accommodation providers.

We know free accommodation is currently the only intervention evidenced at Office for Student Tier 2 level to impact on progression, completion and attainment of care experienced students. But there are other accommodation practices outlined in our Blueprint for a #HomeAtUniversity that make an important difference: removing the rent guarantor barrier; accommodation support for the ‘gaps’ before, after and in the summer breaks of a degree course; monitoring and supporting the housing situation of all care experienced and estranged students.

We are here to help. We’ll be offering a programme of free, online knowledge-sharing for higher education staff on each element of the Blueprint for a #HomeAtUniversity.  In addition, the All of Us Community is open to all care experienced and estranged students in the UK of any age, and also has an HE Peer Network for those professionals dedicated to building student belonging.

We know from over a decade of experience that purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) providers can play a vital role in ensuring a safe and stable #HomeAtUniversity for care experienced and estranged students. We are proud that our champion and founder Unite Students was the first signatory to the Care Leaver Covenant and we are continuing to support them as they roll out a pilot to remove the guarantor barrier for all care experienced and estranged students in their buildings.

If you would like to find out more on how we can support your journey to ensure a #HomeAtUniversity for care experienced and estranged students, get in touch with our Co-Director Kate at kate.brown@unitefoundation.org.uk.

The experience of students of a #HomeAtUniversity is determined not only by accommodation providers but by national and local policy contexts across all the UK nations.

We work in partnership across the sector so the needs of care experienced and estranged students are included in policy decisions around data, student finance, wellbeing and more, and to encourage Local Authorities to play their role in delivering a #HomeAtUniversity. 

To find out more and collaborate in policy change, Co-Director Fiona would love to hear from you. Drop her an email on fiona.ellison@unitefoundation.org.uk