Extra support when you need it
We believe all people should be able to access an education at Imperial, but we understand some students will find their time here harder than others. Not everyone starts from the same place and students from different backgrounds might need extra support to succeed.
Students from the following backgrounds will be able to access a package of extra support from a specialist team in Student Services:
- Students who are care-experienced
- Students estranged from their families
- Students who are young adult carers
- Refugees and asylum seekers, or with another forced migration background
This support is available for both undergraduates and postgraduates from all departments.
What do these terms mean?
Care-experienced
We take a broad definition of care-experience, not restricting to just those that meet the statutory definition of ‘care-leaver’.
Being care experienced means you will have spent time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally without local authority support.
Students estranged from their family
Imperial defines an estranged person as a student under 25 years old (on 1st September of the first year of their studies) who no longer has the support of their parents, and often also other family members, due to a permanent breakdown in their relationship which has led to ceased contact. This might mean your biological, step or adoptive parents or wider family members who have been responsible for supporting you in the past.
What do these terms mean?
Young adult carers
Imperial’s definition of a young carer is someone whose life is affected by providing substantial unpaid care for a family member who is unable to manage without this support. Some examples could include:
- Caring for a sick parent, for example including helping with daily activities like bathing, preparing meals, and managing medication, while also balancing their studies.
- Supporting a sibling with a disability, for example by assisting with mobility, attending medical appointments, and providing companionship and emotional support alongside their academic responsibilities.
Forced migrant students
At Imperial we use the term ‘forced migrant’ as an umbrella term to include students who are:
- Seeking asylum in the UK
- Awarded refugee status in the UK or another country
- Those who have been granted a temporary form of leave as the result of an asylum or human rights application (e.g. limited leave to remain, discretionary leave to remain, humanitarian protection).
- Came to the UK via a Nationality-specific bespoke immigration route, available to some Afghans, Ukrainians, and people from Hong Kong.
What's in the support package?
The support our team provides includes:
- Having a named person as a dedicated point of contact at the university to assist you in navigating all of the support at Imperial.
- Access to a peer mentor and the opportunity to be a mentor yourself.
- Opportunities to attend regular dedicated events including workshops and socials.
- Access to apply to a special Opportunities Fund to help with extra costs related to your studies such as co- and extra-curricular activities.
Confidentiality and Privacy Notice
The Underrepresented Students Support Service complies with Imperial's Privacy Notice for Students and Prospective Students. This notice explains how your personal data is collected and processed by the university.
Most of the data we hold on you is drawn from the information you provide when applying and enrolling at Imperial. Additionally, our service may collect further details from you if you choose to access our support. This includes personal information you may disclose via our registration form or during one-to-one meetings. We will only collect and retain the minimum information necessary to provide effective support, such as brief summary notes from meetings.
Your personal data will remain confidential within our service and will not normally be shared with other departments or services in the university without your explicit consent. The only exception is in crisis or emergency situations where sharing information is necessary to protect your safety or the safety of others, in line with Imperial's Student Mental Health Code of Practice.