A school and college guide to providing information for parents and carers

Choosing what and where to study has a huge impact on a student’s future. For parents and carers, we know that this means balancing the offer of support with enabling their independence, however far away or close to home the student may choose to study.

When it comes to preparing for university, it is vital that parents and carers are kept informed of the provision available at your school or college as this will enable them to guide and support the student throughout the process.

As young adults, students form a professional relationship directly with the university, so our communication about everything from attendance to exam results will be directly with them.

We encourage parents and carers to attend open days with students. Many universities have dedicated sessions for parents and carers as well as information on personal statements and student finance. They can speak face-to- face with the university staff who deal with these specific areas to ask any questions they may have.

It is essential that parents and carers are informed of key deadlines and how they can support the student whilst completing their university application, particularly the personal statement. They can also sign up to the UCAS monthly parent newsletter.

The parent or carer will need to submit their National Insurance number and details of their household income as part of the student finance application. This is to assess how much funding will be available in relation to their personal circumstances.

Managing money and understanding that every penny counts whilst at university can be a big adjustment, encouraging parents and carers to have a conversation with the student about budgeting can really help with this.

Many universities will offer dedicated support for parents and carers of students applying to university, this may include:

• Presentations for parents and carers: university representatives can come and deliver a session at your school or college to cover everything they need to know about the application process.
• Information stands at careers and higher education fairs: these provide an opportunity for parents and carers to speak to staff or current students about studying at a specific institution.
• Online resources: parents and carers can access information tailored specifically to them on most university websites as well as UCAS.

Check out our new Parents' Guide to University - which includes the key information parents need to know about all aspects of university!