The Student Carers Support Package
The Student Carers Support Package has been designed with student carers and local carers associations to offer financial, pastoral and academic support to enable student carers to get the most out of their university experience at Swansea.
Pre-Entry Support
- Communication with Welfare@CampusLife to discuss the support available to you. This could be face-face, online or via telephone.
- Assistance with planning accommodation for both term and holiday time (if required). The welfare team will help to point you in the right direction.
- Information on eligibility for Student Finance and information on how and when to submit your Student Finance Application is available via our Money@CampusLife. service. You can also check out their Undergraduate and Post-graduate student funding FAQ’s.
- Financial assistance to attend Open Days/interviews.
- The opportunity to meet the Welfare team at open days, applicant visit days and at arrivals weekend.
Support whilst studying
- For full-time undergraduate students, we offer a £1000 bursary in each year of study (where full eligibility criteria is met). This is split into two payments – one instalment of £500 when you complete the application and another £500 in May.
- For Postgraduate Students, we offer a total of £1,000 for the duration of their course.
Students undertaking 2nd degrees, or courses such as the PGCE and GEM (which although listed as an UG degree is, in effect, a PG course/2nd degree will be treated the same as PG students.
Please note: The number of bursaries for each academic year is capped. Priority will be given on a first-come first served basis. Students who fall outside of the cap can discuss additional options with the named contact.
- Students will be assigned a named contact within the Welfare@CampusLife team where regular, non-compulsory support meetings are offered.
Your designated contact from the Welfare Team will also contact you throughout the year as a commitment to offering the opportunity for a 1 -1 appointment. These are not mandatory but 1 – 1 time can be beneficial for students to discuss any specific worries or concerns, an opportunity to reflect or set future goals, or as an opportunity to simply chat through how you are getting along.
- Priority access to Swansea University’s Opportunity Award.
- Signposting to a range of other support services from disability services to mental health support and counselling.
The Passport - The carers passport is designed to facilitate academic support i.e Academic adjustments/considerations.
- Your named contact within the Welfare@CampusLife will notify the relevant Faculty support staff that you have been approved for the Passport. Your faculty will then contact you to discuss your caring responsibilities and to nominate members of staff that you wish to be made aware of.
- Students can request any reasonable adjustments they feel may help their student journey. NOTE: All requests are at the discretion of the faculty and cannot be guaranteed.
- The passport can be used by students as supporting evidence when applying for Extenuating circumstances if their situation has been impacted by their caring responsibilities. Students may be required to attend a meeting with the faculty support team to discuss the support required.
- Gateway for priority and flexible access to study skills support.
- Direct signposting to specialist support within and external to the University; Wellbeing, Disability, Money@CampusLife, South Wales Police