Widening Participation

How-to access support as a care experienced or estranged student

Edinburgh Cares Staff Mentoring Programme

Edinburgh Cares Staff Mentoring Programme pairs trained staff members with a new care-experienced or estranged University of Edinburgh student. In Scotland, 4% of care-experienced young people progress to higher education from school, compared with 41% of their non-care-experienced peers. The University of Edinburgh is a corporate parent, and as such has legislative duties to support care-experienced people make the most of their time at university. The mentoring relationship focuses upon supporting the student to engage with the wider University, academically and non-academically.

Peer Mentoring

The longest running peer support project at the university, offers a fully trained peer mentor to new first year WP students. The mentor shares their first-hand experience to support the transition from school/college into University life.

You can find out more about the types of support available for Widening Participation students at the University:

• Widening Participation
• Widening Participation team

For further information and updates, you can follow the Widening Participation team on Twitter @UniofEdWPteam.

Contacting the Widening Participation Team

If you have any questions or concerns, you reach out to the Widening Participation Team via email addresses below:

General enquiries: wpteam@ed.ac.uk

Care-experiences/estranged students: edinburghcares@ed.ac.uk

Peer mentoring: undergraduate.mentoring@ed.ac.uk

If you're a student involved in the peer mentoring scheme, you can also book a chat with a member of the Widening Participation team to discuss your experiences either online or in-person.

Lothians Equal Access Programme for Schools 

LEAPS is a widening participation programme which aims to encourage and advise students who are traditionally under-represented in higher education. LEAPS supports young people, raising aspirations and providing impartial advice about higher education. LEAPS currently works with state secondary schools throughout South East Scotland, supporting pupils who match LEAPS eligibility criteria. You can find out more about the support available by visiting the LEAPS website or by contacting the LEAPS team at leaps@ed.ac.uk.

Support for Prospective Students at the University of Edinburgh

We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to study at Edinburgh, but we know that not everyone gets the same chance to show their academic potential at school or college. That’s why, when you apply to study here, we consider lots of different factors alongside your exam results, and we provide support along the way to help you make a strong application.

You can find more information on the support available for prospective students on the Access Edinburgh page.

Hardship Funding

Hardship funding is available to support students at the University of Edinburgh. This includes support towards childcare costs, funding for students in receipt of a Lone Parent Grant from SAAS, and students who have faced financial hardship as a result of COVID-19.

• Lone Parents' Grant and Lone Parents' Childcare Grant
• Support for students impacted by COVID-19 2022

External Organisations Providing Support

Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel

All young people and children aged 5-21 years can apply for a card to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme, which began on 31 January 2022.

You will need a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC with the valid free travel entitlement with you whenever you want to take the bus – otherwise you’ll have to pay for your trip.

You can apply for card by visiting the Get Your NEC website.

The 93% Club Edinburgh

The 93% Club Edinburgh is a society founded in 2020 that is dedicated to promoting access and opportunity for socio-economically and educationally disadvantaged students at the University of Edinburgh. Our aims include providing practical and professional advice, creating a community that fosters inclusivity where students can share experiences and concerns, providing useful social and educational resources, challenging the politics that hinder social mobility, and speaking out and taking action on these issues where we can.

Tackling Elitism

A student led group for University of Edinburgh students from a low-income background, first generation students, working class, estranged, and/or care experienced. You can find out more about Tackling Elitism via their Linktr.ee (@tacklingelitism).

Level With Me

Level With Me is a journal created by recent graduates of the University of Edinburgh from widening-participation, state-educated backgrounds. Their journal aims to give a voice to those who have experienced disparities during their time at university, and to tackle inequality and elitism through creating a lasting record of those experiences.

Edinburgh University Students Association: Your Representatives

Use this page to find the EUSA representatives who are working to support and represent you. 

Edinburgh University Students Association: Liberation Officers

Your Liberation Officers work part-time to represent marginalised communities of students. They lead and support our five Liberation Campaigns which exist to create a space where self-defining students can come together, discuss the issues affecting them, and campaign to improve their student experience. The following links will direct you to the Facebook groups where you can find out more about the liberation campaigns:

• Black and Minority Ethnic Students at the University of Edinburgh
• Disabled Students at the University of Edinburgh
• LGBT+ Students at the University of Edinburgh
• Trans and Non-Binary Students at the University of Edinburgh
• Women Students at the University of Edinburgh

Section Representatives

Your Section Representatives work on a voluntary, flexible basis to give a voice to non-traditional students who may face additional barriers in accessing education. They’re responsible for building supportive communities for the students they represent and ensuring that their concerns are on the University’s agenda.

The following links will direct you to Facebook groups overseen by the respective Section Representatives where you can connect with other students in a safe space:

• Mature Students at the University of Edinburgh
• Student Carers at the University of Edinburgh
• Student Parents at the University of Edinburgh

While university life is full of exciting opportunities, it can also be an overwhelming time. Here you can find information on a range of services provided by the University and throughout Edinburgh to support your physical and mental wellbeing.

• Health and Wellbeing Services
• Support for Student Parents

Health & Wellbeing Centre

The University of Edinburgh has created a dedicated health and wellbeing centre for students.

The fully accessible Centre is based at 7 Bristo Square and is open Monday to Friday. For more information, you can follow the Wellbeing Team on Twitter: @UoEDWellbeing.

The following organisations provide a range of support for under-represented groups, including care experienced and estranged people.