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

7. Experiences of estrangement

This section considers students' experiences of estrangement as reported in the literature. It explores the impact of being estranged on finances, accommodation, attainment and progression and mental health.

7.1 Finance

The financial impact of being estranged is a theme which cuts across the literature. Scottish and English research points to the precarious nature of estranged students' finances, cut off from the safety net of their families but without the support that care experienced students are able to draw upon (Minty and Vertigans, 2021). Estranged students responding to a Student Loans Company survey reported experiencing 'extreme sustained poverty' (Bland, 2018), while those interviewed as part of Scottish research at two universities experienced 'severe financial hardship' (Taylor and Costa, 2019a). For many estranged students, finance is a key barrier which causes significant amounts of anxiety, as a result of facing a 'near constant threat of precarity' (Costa, et al., 2020a).

Some of this hardship is linked to the difficulties estranged students face in evidencing their estrangement, with delays and inconsistencies with student funding often problematic (Stevenson, et al., 2020). Accessing the documents needed to prove estrangement can be upsetting (Taylor and Costa, 2019b) and time consuming, which can delay financial support (Bland, 2015; Casey, 2018; Scottish Government, 2017). Research by Bland and Blake (2020) highlighted the difficulties experienced by students seeking to prove their estrangement for the purposes of student finance and the impact this had on drop out. Their 2015 survey, conducted by the SLC in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, found that students reported high levels of stress and anxiety in relation to evidencing their estrangement, leading some to end their studies as a result. In some cases, the difficulty of evidencing estrangement led to delays in receiving loans and grants/bursaries, meaning estranged students experienced significant financial difficulties at the beginning of their courses.

Much of the research on estranged students has been undertaken in England, and has been conducted by or for Stand Alone. Their surveys show estranged students experience high levels of debt, credit card use and payday loans, and have to rely on the informal support of friends or extended family and institutional hardship funds (Bland, 2015). It is only in the past few years that the financial experiences of estranged students in Scotland, and student finances in general, have come under greater focus (Minty, 2021). Costa and Taylor's qualitative research (2020a; Taylor and Costa, 2019b) with students at two Scottish universities show the impact of the lack of funding over the summer holidays. Another qualitative study of students from disadvantaged groups at one Scottish university highlighted estranged students' debts accrued via homeless accommodation and council rent arrears (Minty and Vertigans, 2021).

More recently, NUS Scotland's survey of student poverty in 2022 found that estranged student respondents in Scotland were the most adversely affected by financial hardship compared to other groups of participating students. As Figure 1 below illustrates, estranged students responding to this survey reported the greatest levels of financial worry, were the most likely to consider leaving their course due to finances, and to report that their mental health had been impacted by worrying about finances.

Recently, the financial challenges facing all students have become more prominent (Abdul, 2022). However, an NUS online survey of 3,417 students and apprentices across the UK found that although the cost of living crisis affects many students, it was having a disproportionate effect on estranged students, disabled students and student parents/carers. This non-representative survey reported that between January and June 2022, students' use of food banks doubled, with estranged students one of the groups more likely to have used food banks and more likely to have reduced their food consumption (NUS, 2022).

Literature from both Scotland and the rest of the UK highlights the relationship between financial insecurity and the threat of homelessness (Costa, et al., 2020a). The high cost of student accommodation is a key challenge for estranged students, with funding from student loans and/or bursaries/grants often just covering rent, leaving little for the rest of their outgoings (Bland, 2018; NUS Scotland, 2022). Two thirds of estranged students surveyed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported that their student finance package was insufficient to cover living costs (66% of estranged students, 45% of care leavers, and 53% of all respondents) (Bland, 2015). Most of the literature relating to estrangement and finance focuses on the experiences of HE students. Scottish Government research (2019) is unusual in that it explored the perspectives of FE students on student funding, based on focus groups and an online survey. This found that many FE students were unable to meet their essential living costs.

Limited funding can leave many estranged students having to undertake large amounts of paid work during term-time to cover essential expenses like bills and food (Bland, 2018), which may have a detrimental impact on students' engagement with their studies (Howieson and Minty, 2019). Estranged students often related their financial struggles to summer accommodation which they had to self-fund. Some explained they took out short-term loans to do this which left them with further debt (Bland, 2018) . Qualitative and mixed methods studies undertaken in both Scotland and England in 2020 during and immediately after the first lockdown found the pandemic reduced part-time job opportunities (Scottish Government, 2020a; Minty and Vertigans, 2021) and increased student isolation (Blake, et al., 2020).

In recognition of this, institutions have increased discretionary funding, with many providing Covid hardship funding to help students who are struggling (Abdul, 2022). Responses from 95 UK universities to a recent Freedom of Information request by BBC News found that hardship funding for universities doubled between 2019/20 and 2020/21 (Shearing, 2022). It also reported that during that time, the number of students applying for hardship funds has increased, meaning that the average award per student has reduced. Discretionary and hardship funding have been shown to be a key source of financial support for estranged university students in times of crisis or financial emergencies (Minty and Vertigans, 2021). However, a longitudinal comparative case study of estranged students in two UK universities found students expressed anxieties around the fact this support is not guaranteed each year (Key, 2019). NUS Scotland's survey reported that discretionary funding is 'still failing to get to students who need it' (NUS Scotland, 2022). It found that one-fifth of those who applied for funding did not receive it, while half said they had received money but not as much as they needed.

7.2 Accommodation

Closely linked to finances, challenges relating to accommodation have been highlighted across the literature as an issue which disproportionately affects estranged students. Several surveys of students have found high rates of homelessness among estranged students in both England and Scotland. A survey of estranged students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland found that more than 30% of students had registered as homeless or had considered doing so before their course began (Bland, 2015). In Scotland, a third of estranged students responding to a survey by NUS Scotland had experienced homelessness, compared with 12% of students overall and 29% of care-experienced students (NUS Scotland, 2022). English, Welsh and Northern Irish estranged students reported having stayed in hostels, shelters or Bed and Breakfast accommodation, while others stayed with friends or partners, or couch surfed (Bland, 2018). Qualitative research with estranged and care experienced students at a Scottish university highlighted the challenges these students faced trying to study whilst living in homeless accommodation, and the strain this placed on their mental health (Minty and Vertigans, 2021).

Once at university or college, estranged students faced further challenges in securing and retaining accommodation. Several studies have highlighted that estranged students struggle to afford the high rents of university and private accommodation without family support Costa, 2019; Key, 2019; Bland, 2018. Estranged students at university in both Scotland and the rest of the UK who received the maximum student loan still faced difficulties with covering their rent, according to several studies Costa, et al., 2020a; Key, 2019; Bland, 2018). A survey in England, Wales and Northern Ireland indicated that estranged students were more worried than students overall about affording accommodation (Bland and Shaw, 2015). In NUS Scotland's 2022 survey, estranged student respondents were most likely to report being unable to pay their rent in full (46% of estranged students, 26% of all students) (NUS Scotland, 2022). It is recommended that students work around 10-15 hours of paid work per week Student Information Scotland. However, evidence submitted by student representative organisations to a Scottish Government scoping study on Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) expressed concern that estranged students had to work 'excessive hours' in order to cover their rent (Scottish Government, 2022).

Term-time leases have been found to cause housing insecurity for estranged students unable to return to their parents' homes during university holidays. Casey highlighted that some students were made homeless or had to turn to couch surfing as a result of having to vacate their student housing during the holidays (Casey, 2018). For this reason, estranged students showed a preference for private accommodation over university housing as it was more likely to offer year-round leases in a survey of English, Welsh and Northern Irish students (Bland, 2018). While some student accommodation providers did provide 365-day contracts, this was not a universal service across all institutions and providers, and rent rates tended to be higher than in alternative private housing (Scottish Government, 2022; Matthews, et al., 2018; Costa, 2019).

The difficulties of accessing a guarantor for accommodation costs as an estranged student have been underexplored in the literature. Bland highlighted that university accommodation often required students to provide a guarantor to stay in halls of residence or other student accommodation (Bland, 2018). Several studies have reported that some estranged students have been forced to pay many months of rent in advance as a result of being unable to find a guarantor (Casey, 2018; Spacey, 2019). Evidence submitted to a Scottish Government's scoping study on PBSA suggested that this could be challenging for many students (Scottish Government, 2022). Recommendations for dealing with this issue have included guarantor-free accommodation at universities and national guarantorship schemes at educational institutions Bland, 2018. Five institutions in Scotland already provide rent guarantor schemes but this is not consistent across all accommodation providers.

Another problem facing estranged students in terms of accommodation was isolation. Research has highlighted that estranged students experienced isolation from their peers when their flatmates went home during the holidays, or when they opted for private accommodation over university housing Bland, 2018; Spacey, 2019. Estranged students were found to be more likely than average to want a buddy or mentoring system in their student accommodation (Bland and Shaw, 2015). However, despite the difficulties outlined above, estranged students from across the UK reported in a qualitative study that privately renting accommodation while at university offered a space of sanctuary and agency that they had missed out on at home (Spacey and Sanderson, 2021).

7.3 Mental health

Poor mental health is an issue which has increasingly been found to be a challenge faced by students, with increasing levels of anxiety and depression reported among young people. For example, the number of HE students in England reporting they had a mental health condition doubled between 2014/15 and 2018/19 (House of Commons Library, 2021). In a survey of 15,000 students in Scotland undertaken by the Mental Health Foundation in 2021, with funding from the Robertson Trust (Mental Health Foundation, 2022), 74% of respondents reported low well-being (74%), while more than a third (36%) reported either moderately severe or severe symptoms of depression. The loneliness and isolation caused by Covid-19 lockdowns have exacerbated this, with half of students surveyed by NUS reporting that their mental health was worse than before the pandemic (NUS, 2020; Hall, 2022). Research shows that these feelings are magnified for estranged students, given that experiences of estrangement are often linked to abuse (physical, sexual and emotional) and neglect (Oloyede, et al., 2020). More broadly, the experience of cutting oneself off from parents, or being cut off from one's family, can be highly traumatic, especially when combined with financial insecurity and fears of homelessness (Costa, et al., 2020a).

Family-oriented occasions such as moving-in day and holidays were found to spark feelings of anxiety and grief for estranged students interviewed at an English post-92 university (Spacey, 2019). Isolation was also found to be a challenge for estranged students remaining in student accommodation during holidays and over lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic (Scottish Government, 2020). The Scottish Government's research into the experiences of students during the pandemic found that estranged students, care-experienced and international students, were particularly exposed to mental health problems during the pandemic as staying in university halls or flats during lockdown created an 'intense environment'. A recent survey by NUS Scotland highlighted that the impact of financial worries on mental health disproportionately affects estranged students: 84% of estranged student respondents said that worrying about finances had impacted their mental health compared with 64% of all students surveyed (NUS Scotland, 2022).

The literature points to a clear need for mental health support among estranged students. A survey by Stand Alone (2015) found that 78% of people across the UK who were estranged had sought help from a counsellor or therapist, while a small-scale qualitative study of estranged students at an English university found most had accessed university counselling services (Spacey and Sanderson, 2021). A survey of students in Scotland found estranged students were one of the groups who were more likely to access mental health support (Oloyede, et al., 2020). Research for Stand Alone found that 88% of estranged students in the UK who accessed counselling found it helpful (Blake, et al., 2015), while estranged people who took part in a UK-wide survey reported that they found counselling helpful as it allowed them to move forward with their lives and develop a deeper understanding of their family relationships (Blake, et al., 2020). However, this study also highlighted challenges in accessing counselling, with respondents reporting that therapists lacked knowledge of estrangement or family abuse, pushed them to forgive their family member, and focused on the past rather than helping them move forward.

In qualitative and mixed methods studies undertaken with estranged students, participants complained of long waiting times for institutional counselling sessions, and too few sessions offered to be able to deal with complex trauma. Students also struggled to identify the mental health support that was available (Stevenson, et al., 2020). There was also variation in the level of support available to students across the higher education sector, leading some estranged students to pay for counselling instead (Spacey and Sanderson, 2021).

The literature also highlights the role of other types of support accessed by estranged students in lieu of parents. A mixed methods study of estranged students and HE staff in England and Scotland identified the importance of a system of personal support for estranged students who had considered withdrawing from their studies (Stevenson, et al., 2020), while the use of friends as a surrogate family support network is highlighted elsewhere as a form of emotional support (Spacey, 2019). That being said, Stand Alone found that only 42% of estranged people had told their close friends all the details of their estrangement, while half had told them something of their estrangement (Blake, et al., 2015). Stigma, shame and embarrassment was a key factor for survey respondents – something which is also highlighted in qualitative interviews with estranged students as informing their reluctance to talk of their experiences (Costa, 2019).

7.4 Attainment, transitions, student outcomes, progression and graduation

UK literature highlights the impact of estrangement on students' learning, namely: school, FE and HE attainment; access and transitions between school, FE and HE; and progression once studying at college or university can be affected.

Although the Scottish Government collects data on care experienced school attainment, data on the attainment of estranged young people are not routinely collected. This makes it difficult to measure the impact of estrangement on attainment; however, research suggests that estranged students may enter FE and HE later in life. A survey conducted for the Unite Foundation (Bland and Shaw, 2015) found that higher proportions of 21-24 year old HE students were estranged (52% versus 34% of all students), suggesting that estranged students are less likely to enter HE immediately after school or FE. Interviews with estranged students at a Scottish post-92 university support this (Minty and Vertigans, 2021). Participants were more likely to have entered via college routes rather than directly from school, citing the detrimental impact of their estrangement on their attainment. Estranged students interviewed as part of this study who had obtained an HNC/HND at college were reluctant to articulate (see SFC, 2022b) into the second or third year of a degree programme at university, preferring instead to enter first year. Although this had implications for their overall student debt, it was viewed as a less risky option, allowing them time to adjust to the transition.

Literature has shown that estranged students were more likely than all students were overall to withdraw from their course. Data from the Office for Students (2020) found that estranged students were more likely to drop out, while a survey for Stand Alone administered by the Student Loans Company found that 14% said they had suspended or deferred their current course, while a further 27% said they had considered deferring (Bland, 2015).

Explanations for the lower continuation rates for estranged students are complex. Reasons for withdrawal from courses vary, with qualitative studies (Stevenson, et al., 2020; Spacey and Sanderson, 2021) reporting financial issues, low academic attainment, isolation from peers, loss of personal support networks and accommodation issues as contributing factors in estranged student drop out in the UK. In a survey of estranged students, financial stress was the main reason for withdrawing, followed by health and wellbeing (Bland, 2015), while further analysis found that a culmination of several of these factors intersected to result in estranged students dropping out (Bland, 2018) .

Research also points to different degree outcomes for those who complete their course, with estranged students being less likely to achieve a First Class degree or a 2:1 than their non-estranged peers (Office for Students, 2020). A survey conducted by Stand Alone of 85 students who were about to graduate highlighted the additional challenges faced by estranged students after graduation. Respondents reported having to juggle looking for jobs with financial and housing issues without the support of universities, employers, the government, or family. This led estranged students to focus on meeting financial and housing needs rather than pursuing career goals or postgraduate education (Rouncefield-Swales and Bland, 2019).

7.5 Reframing estrangement

Despite the challenges faced by estranged students, studies have shown that some estranged students frame their family breakdown in an emancipatory light. In an online survey of estranged people, 80% of people who had experienced estrangement said they associated it with positive feelings of freedom and independence (Blake, et al., 2015). Similarly, students viewed the independence gained from their estrangement as advantageous (Rouncefield-Swales and Bland, 2019), while FE and HE students interviewed in Scotland tended to reject the label of estrangement, preferring to highlight their sense of independence in a positive light (Costa, et al., 2020b). Other Scottish research with university students highlighted high levels of resilience, motivation and a strong desire to succeed in order to prove people wrong among estranged and care experienced interviewees (Minty and Vertigans, 2021). Similar themes of estranged students having a strong work ethic, empathy and motivation to improve their lives have also been found in research with estranged students in England (Rouncefield-Swales and Bland, 2019). However, despite the prevalence of this positive reframing of estrangement in the eyes of some estranged students, most existing research has explored more negative discourses around the issue (Costa, et al., 2020b).