Young Adult Carers

A young adult carer is a young person under the age of 25 at enrolment who has significant unpaid caring responsibilities for a family member or close friend who has a long-term or terminal illness, disability, mental health condition, is elderly or frail, or who struggles with addiction or substance misuse.

Financial Support

Young adult carers who enrol at Kingston University and have been assessed as 'home' for fee purposes are eligible to receive a non-repayable young adult carer bursary of £500 per progressive year of study, as well as priority for the Kingston Bursary if all of the criteria are met. 

Specialist Support

Our dedicated and experienced KU Cares team will be available to support you through your application, enrolment, your time at University and beyond. The team are a single point of contact, and can provide you with opportunities at the University that will fit around your studies and caring responsibilities. These currently include placements at the University and paid work via our Student Ambassador scheme.

Accommodation

Young Adult Carers will be given priority for accommodation in our Halls of Residence and can be accommodated short or long term giving flexibility around their needs.

Verification and eligibility

To be eligible for support as a young adult carer, you will need to be:

• 25 or under at the time of enrolment
• A ‘home' student
• Enrolled on an undergraduate course or a PGCE
• Eligible for a maintenance loan from Student Finance

If you believe you meet the eligibility requirements, you will need to provide us with evidence that you are a young adult carer. This evidence can be in the form of a letter from one of the following: a carers network, local authority, a professional such as a GP or teacher. If you have questions about this please contact us for support.

What do I do next?

• Register your interest by applying for KU Cares, please ensure you tick the box declaring that you are a young adult carer.
• Email kucares@kingston.ac.uk with your evidence or any questions you have, and a member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.