If you were coming here now again as a fresher with your experience
what piece of advice would you like to have been told?
I think I would have liked to know a bit more about all of the different kind of schemes
and financial opportunities and things that the University can support with
like helping for travel costs for study, things like that and
just all of the little secret nooks and crannies of kind of financial and social support
that the University can offer such as the Enhanced Bursary
which is available for care leavers and estranged students
which has really helped me over the year to kind of pay for rent and things
and equally the 365 Accommodation.
Yeah definitely, I literally would not have been able to study here
if I hadn't got on that bursary
I mean obviously, I think it's quite easy to forget that like
for care leavers and estranged students
you do have to pay for living costs outside of term time
that's not something that goes away
so the Enhanced Bursaries kind of negate that
so I just would not have been able to.
It's great that we have these spaces to go to
so that for certain people who can't return home or
don't have a place to go back to, they can stay somewhere and they're safe
they still have the support and things so like this is a great thing
I profit from this, in the vacation periods for example.
Did you find it tricky to access the economic support available?
For me, it was really a simple and easy process
and it was all done through UCAS and things like this
which can be really helpful and supportive too
so making that known to my college and my support staff was really helpful
and they helped me a lot to find out what I could access.
Was it a similar experience for you?
Not really, I think because...
my experience of care began a little bit after I turned 16
I know that that means that I'm not defined as a statutory care leaver
so I am care experienced and I am estranged but not a statutory care leaver
which meant that when it came to applying for Student Finance
I had to go through a process of verification to get independent status
which then could mean that I could get the Enhanced Bursary
it meant that I had to get a professional to vouch for me
and say like "yes, she is definitely estranged"
and the only professional in my vicinity was like a teacher at my school
who didn't know an awful lot about my circumstances
so that did mean that I had to do some disclosing
and yeah, I guess go through the process of verification
which was tricky but obviously it was completely necessary.
And eventually it worked out and it supported you, so like we were saying earlier
it's just so important to try and be as open as you can where you can
and feel comfortable too.
I think I would have liked to have been told like more about
access and outreach from earlier on
So, obviously I really enjoyed my involvement in the Realise Project
and showing young people from like care and estranged backgrounds
what Cambridge is like but I didn't get involved in that until like a bit later on
because I was quite nervous about being open about my background
I just wish that I'd got involved sooner
to like change young people's minds and to get them to think
that they are worthy of applying to places like Cambridge
and that they could succeed if they did apply
to change those young people's minds you really do have to target
the representation that you provide on those schemes
so like having mentors like you, me, the other students
that worked on these schemes from care and estranged backgrounds
being able to say "I know, I literally know what it's like"
and "I'm here, and I've been able to do it, like you can do it too".
It makes it easier to know that there are other people in these situations
so it's not a singular experience and we are a community
and maybe there's not that many of us but I think having open voices about this
just makes the thing a lot easier just knowing that there is a space for you
you merit it and it can work out essentially.
I think the point about you merit it is something really important as well
we deserve to be here just as much as like the next person
and it's like reminding yourself of that
and when you do occupy these spaces with other people from similar backgrounds
and you feel a part of the community
you find yourself like reminding other people of that
and in doing so it reminds you that you're meant to be here as well I think.
I think as well, the thing has become a lot bigger kind of like this year for example
I mean in my first year, I managed to find this community and this group of people
that existed in my first year which is a great kind of experience
and I hope that it can be like that for other people
as well as financial help, there's a lot of kind of initiatives and stuff
to make the experience more comfortable and nurturing.
Like the Stand Alone Pledge for example, I think that's like a really positive step
it encourages universities to have a look at what they're doing every year or so
and think how can we continue improving the support and how can we move forward
and how can we speak to students that are from these backgrounds
and listen to their needs because that's something that I've really been trying to push for.