University of the Arts London holds the Buttle UK Quality Mark, which means we welcome and support young people who have been in local authority care for 3 months or more. All students are entitled to support during their time at the University – if you don’t meet the above criteria, please visit the Student Centre pages to find out what is available to you. 

Tick the box!

If you are a care leaver or currently in care and are planning to apply for a University place, please tick the box on the UCAS form declaring that you have been in care. This means we, or any other institution you apply to, can contact you to let you know what help you can get.

Before you apply

University of the Arts London runs events and projects which can help you get a taste of University life, find out more about art and design, and add work to your portfolio. Some projects involve giving help with portfolio and interview preparation, so they may help you get a place on a course, either here or at another University.

Most projects are in London, but even if you can’t get to them, contact us in case we can direct you to another institution that runs similar projects in another part of the country.

When you apply

When you submit your UCAS application form, please tick the box to declare that you have been or are currently in care. We will then contact you to tell you what’s on offer. We can pay back your travel expenses so that you are able to attend interviews, portfolio reviews and open days at the University.

If you get a place

If you are offered a place, we will contact you again to invite you to take part in our Bridging programme. This takes place before the start of your first term, to give you an idea about what University life will be like.

You’ll get to find out about:

• Financial help and how to get it
• All year round accommodation
• Writing essays, using the Libraries and general academic support
• Studio practice, and giving group presentations
• Key staff who will help you while you’re at University 

You may also find it helpful to meet other students who have been in the care system before coming to University. When you are on your course When you have started your course, we will keep in touch with you, as well as your Leaving Care Personal Adviser, to make sure you’re getting the support you need so you can focus on your studies.

This could take the form of:

• A meeting with your course tutor, Leaving Care Personal Adviser and someone from Student Services to work out what support you might need 
• A mentor who is available to talk to throughout your course when you need them 

All students can access Student Services, which provides advice on:

• Health and wellbeing 
• Money 
• Accommodation 
• Careers 
• Disability support, including assessment and support for dyslexia 

While you are a student, you can also get involved in our projects with new students who have been in care, so you can pass on your experiences. Not only will you get paid to work, but it would look great on your CV.