Estranged students

The Independent Review of Financial Support for Students in Scotland published in 2017 identified estranged students as a disadvantaged group.

The recommendations were approved by the Scottish Government which highlighted that estranged students are distinct from independent students because they have been permanently estranged from their parents and do not have parental support.

The Scottish Government commissioned ScotCen Social Research (ScotCen) to undertake research on the experiences of estranged students in Scotland. In November 2022 the Scottish Government published Estranged students in Further (FE) and Higher Education (HE)  – experiences: research and its associated literature review.  This research found that being estranged impacted on students’ experiences of further education (FE) and higher education (HE) in Scotland in many ways, including lack of money to afford living essentials, concerns about accommodation, and on their physical and mental health and wellbeing.  Interviewees highlighted to the researchers that estrangement had adversely impacted on their experiences of school, college and university in terms of attainment, transitions and progression.

Research published in 2019 by the University of Strathclyde, Estranged Students in Higher and Further Education, found that estranged students often encounter the same issues as those with care-experience. Estranged students reported on their experiences of severe financial hardship, accommodation and the fear of homelessness, the impact on belonging and stigmatisation, mental health issues and disrupted study.

Local authorities have no statutory responsibility to look after their welfare as estranged students are most likely to remove themselves from damaging family relationships between the ages of 16-19 (Stand Alone 2015).

SFC is a representative of the Estranged Students Stakeholder Group, chaired by Stand Alone, with representatives from the college and university sector and other stakeholders like NUS Scotland, SAAS and the Scottish Government.

Colleges and universities have been reporting on their activities to support estranged students through their outcome agreements since AY 2016-17. We encourage our institutions to take the Stand Alone pledge.

We would like institutions to provide estranged students with the same level of support as care-experienced students as per their corporate parenting responsibilities. This would include a named point of contact for advice and support from the point of entry through to graduation, a dedicated web page for estranged students outlining the support available and how to access it and including estranged students in widening participation and outreach work. We support Scottish HEIs to include estranged in their contextualised admissions policy.