Bursary for students who’ve been in care

showed care-experienced students who spent time in care as a child often experience financial difficulties during their studies because they are unable to rely on additional support from family.

The university’s new initiative aims to address these barriers and help students to celebrate their success with their peers.

Dr Iain Morrison, dean of students at the university, said: “We are immensely proud of our care experienced students and understand they face some particular barriers when it comes to participation at graduation ceremonies.

“We want them to share in the joy of this celebration after all their hard work in gaining their qualification, so I am delighted that the principals of our colleges have agreed to establish this new bursary to enable them to do so.

“We remain committed to supporting the needs of care experienced students through our corporate parenting plan and working with external partners, including on the newly established Highland corporate parenting board.”

The University of the Highlands and Islands is one of the first universities in Scotland to introduce a graduation bursary for care-experienced students.

Over 600 students enrolled in further or higher education programmes at the university were classed as careexperienced in the 2017/18 academic year.

Alan Simpson, president of the Highlands and Islands Students’Association, also said:“We are delighted that the university has made this bursary available for care experienced students.

“It is important that all students have the same chances and opportunities and this is a step towards that.

“Graduation should not be something that any student has to worry about paying for and it’s great that the university has recognised this.”