Estranged students in Further (FE) and Higher Education (HE) - experiences: literature review

6. Estranged students funding policies in the UK

The amount of state support available to estranged students in FE and HE varies depending on which of the four UK nations they are domiciled in. This section provides an overview of the funding available to students in each nation, focusing on the support available in Scotland.

6.1 Scotland

Widening access and funding policy in Scotland has until recently tended to focus on neighbourhood deprivation, family income, and care experienced students (Commissioner for Fair Access, 2020). Amid signs of a shift in policy focus, the Independent Review into Student Support in Scotland highlighted how estranged students are distinct to independent students, unable to draw upon family or the state as a corporate parent (Scottish Government, 2017). More widely, it called for student loans to be extended to FE students and for a minimum student income of £8,100. The Scottish Government committed to expand support packages for estranged students in its 2021 Manifesto (Scottish Government, 2021a). The Programme for Government 2021-22 (Scottish Government, 2021b) outlines a 'commitment that the total student support package reaches the equivalent of the Living Wage over the next three years, including for estranged students', and to 'explore the possibility of introducing guarantorship for estranged students to protect them from exploitation in the housing market'.

The funding available to estranged students differs depending on whether they are enrolled on an FE or HE course.

FE student funding

Those undertaking FE courses (Level 6 courses, National Certificates, General Scottish Vocational Qualifications, National Qualifications etc) access support directly from their college. This includes Educational Maintenance Allowance (if aged 16-19) and college bursaries. No loans are available for FE students. At the time of the research (2021-22), FE students were eligible for up to £4667.65 in FE bursaries split over 43 weeks, equivalent to £108.55 per week (SFC, 2021a). This increased to £4,859 for 2022-23. Estranged students are eligible for the maximum college bursary; however, the amount students receive may be linked to attendance as noted in the SFC's Fund Management and Audit Information document for 2021-22 (see SFC, 2021a). This states that 'colleges should use their discretion to determine what absences will be accepted and should take into account the student's wider circumstances' before reducing or stopping the payments of students who are not engaging in their studies. The only mention of estranged students in this document is in relation to providing documentary evidence.

Estranged students may also be entitled to funds through their college's discretionary fund. These funds are intended to:

'Provide financial help to students whose access to or continuation in, Further Education (FE) may be inhibited by financial considerations. OR Where students, for whatever reasons, including physical or other disabilities, face financial difficulties.' (SFC, 2021b)

SFC guidance identifies estranged students as a 'priority group' for discretionary funding. Some colleges use discretionary funds to 'top up' estranged students' bursaries, while others administer discretionary and hardship funds to students as and when they apply for it, often at times of crisis. Some support is means tested and institutions may vary in how they administer these funds. Estranged students may also be able to access funding towards their travel and study expenses through their college. Estranged student parents are also eligible to apply for Discretionary Childcare Funds. Depending on their circumstances, some students in FE may be eligible for Universal Credit. This would usually be provided in place of an FE bursary.

HE student funding

The Scottish Government pays tuition fees for eligible Scottish-domiciled HE students enrolled on HNCs, HNDs and degree courses at Scottish colleges and universities. Support for living costs is administered by Students Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) in the form of maintenance loans paid by the Student Loans Company (SLC) and non-repayable bursaries paid by SAAS. 'Young students' (aged under 25) are assessed on the basis of their parental income. Estranged students are assessed by SAAS as 'independent students' (the same as those who are aged over 25) and are not subject to any means testing.

In 2022-23, young and independent students from the lowest income groups, and care experienced students, will be entitled to a total support package of £8,100. The ratio of loan to bursary, however, varies. Young students (aged under 25 and supported by their parents) from the lowest income group (with a household income of less than £21,000) receive a £2,000 bursary. Where income is over £34,000, young students are not eligible for the Young Student Bursary (YSB) and would instead receive a living costs loan only. In comparison, estranged students who are currently assessed as Independent students are not means-tested, and would receive a maximum bursary of £1,000 and a maximum loan of £7,100 (SAAS, 2022b). Care experienced students are entitled to a non-repayable Care Experienced Bursary (CEB) of £8,100 with no loan. Further details can be found in Table 1.

Note: Estranged students are not subject to means testing and receive the maximum ISB and loan available

As with FE students, estranged HE students can also access hardship or discretionary funding (including childcare costs) via their college or university, with institutions free to decide how they administer these funds. HE students are also eligible to apply for Disabled Student Allowance.

Student parents may be eligible for Discretionary Childcare Funds to assist with the costs of childminders, after school clubs, day care, sitter services and pre-school education. These are administered by colleges and universities. Students are eligible to apply for additional living cost grants depending on their circumstances such as: Lone Parents' Grant and Dependants' Grant.

Additional sources of funding

Additional to the support outlined above, estranged students may also be able to access financial support through a range of other sources, including institutional scholarships and those offered by charities and other organisations. The Robertson Trust offers a self-development programme of support that includes a bursary of up to £4,000 per year to help students overcome social and financial barriers to access HE. The programme lasts for the duration of the young person's degree and supports those from groups that are under-represented at university, including those who are estranged. As well as finance, they also provide mentoring, training and counselling to the students they support. The Unite Foundation offer scholarships to cover the costs of accommodation and bills to estranged students studying at five Scottish universities (Robert Gordon University, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University). They keep in touch with students, offer opportunities for employment and allow students to stay in the accommodation the summer after they graduate.

6.2 The rest of the UK

As mentioned above, Student Finance England's definition of estrangement appears somewhat stricter than the definitions adopted by the SFC or SAAS. In 2016, government grants for students in England were removed and replaced by loans (BBC News, 2016) (see Table 2 for current maintenance loan provision. This is in addition to tuition fee loans). When applying for their loan from Student Finance England, estranged students are encouraged to complete the 'confirmation of estrangement form' which, if accepted, allows them to apply for student finance as an 'independent student'. Their means-tested maintenance loan is then based solely on their own income, rather than their parents', enabling them to potentially access the maximum loan amount (UCAS, 2022b).

In Wales, students are able to apply as an estranged student if they have 'not had any contact with either parent for over a year' (Student Finance Wales, 2022a). Welsh estranged students are entitled to a Welsh Government Learning Grant of £8,100 and a maintenance loan of £1,125 (Save the Student, 2022a). Those in Northern Ireland may receive a grant of up to £3,475 and a maximum maintenance loan of £4,840 (Save the Student, 2022b).

Financial help is also available to students in FE, although this is not specifically for those who are estranged: 16-18-year-olds in Wales and 16-19-year-olds in Northern Ireland can access the Education Maintenance Allowance, which provides students with £30 a week (UK Government, 2022c). Both nations also offer grants for over 19s in FE (Education Authority Northern Ireland, 2022). These schemes do not exist in England. Instead, there is a bursary fund on offer for 16-19-year-olds to contribute to transport and learning materials (UK Government, 2022a) and the option to take out an Advanced Learner Loan for over 19s to help with course costs (UK Government, 2022b).