Education, training and jobs for young people with experience of care
Going to college or university
Help to apply
Most colleges and universities can help you to apply for a place.
Find out about the support they can give at Propel into Education.
If you have experience of care, Scottish universities guarantee a place if you meet the minimum entry requirements.
This will usually be your first choice course but they will work with you to find a suitable alternative if that’s not available.
Find out more about admissions for students with experience of care at Student Awards Agency Scotland.
Further Education: Care Experienced Bursary
You can apply for up to £9,000 per year to pay some of your living costs if you’re studying:
- full time at a Further Education (FE) college
- for a Qualifications Scotland qualification between Level 1 and Level 6
You can check the level of your course on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.
Your college can help you apply for the bursary.
You can find more information on the Scottish Funding Council.
Find out how a bursary might affect social security benefits from the Child Poverty Action Group.
Higher Education: Care Experienced Bursary and other funding
You can apply for up to £9,000 per year to pay some of your living costs if you’re studying:
- full time at a college or university
- for a Higher National Certificate (HNC), a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a degree
You can also apply for a:
- Summer Accommodation Grant of between £650 and £1330 depending on where you live
- Special Support Loan of £2400
You can get more information at Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).
Find out how a bursary might affect social security benefits from the Child Poverty Action Group.
Other support with studying
Most colleges and universities can help students with experience of care with:
- their accommodation
- financial advice and assistance
- their career development
The Wee Campus is an online community where students with experience of care support each other while at college or university.
The Hub for Success is a partnership supporting students at colleges and the universities in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Jobs and training
Training and courses
My World of Work is the careers information and advice service from Skills Development Scotland (SDS).
Find a Job is the Department of Work and Pensions online job search tool.
There are programmes which help young people to get skills and find jobs. These are:
Employment schemes
Some organisations and companies have employment schemes for those with care experience. These include:
The Care Inspectorate encourage applicants with experience of care. They offer support with applications and interviews.
Job Start Payment
You might be able to get Job Start Payment to pay the costs around beginning work.
King's Trust
If you're aged 16 to 30 and not working or in education, you could get a Development Award from the King's Trust.
This is money you can use to access:
- education
- employment
- training
- structured volunteering
Get help from your local council
The Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum (STAF) lists local council ‘care leaver offers’. These pages:
- give information about support you might be able to get from your local council
- have contact details for people who can help you get support
If you're unsure which council area you're in, you can search by postcode on GOV.UK.
If you need more help
If you need advice or support you can phone or email Who Cares? Scotland.