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Monday-Friday:
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Drop in Heath Campus

Monday-Friday:
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Advice@cardiff.ac.uk Advice@caerdydd.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410

Support for Student Carers

There is a range of support available to students who have unpaid caring responsibilities.

The Carers Trust defines student carers as those “who care, unpaid, for a family member or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition or an addiction”.

Information on the support for Student Carers at Cardiff University can be found here.

FAQs

I help my family, but I am not sure if I would be classed as a carer, what responsibilities would qualify me as a carer?

Caring roles can vary significantly but can include:

practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping
physical care, such as helping someone out of bedmanaging the family budget
managing prescriptions and medication
helping someone communicate
looking after brothers and sisters
providing emotional support.

How can Student Advice support Student Carers?

Student Advice is a free, confidential and independent service available for students of Cardiff University. We are independent of the University and our role is to give you impartial advice and guidance and help you understand the options available to you.

If your circumstances are impacting your wellbeing and/or ability to study and perform at your usual level, we can:

advise you on how to report Extenuating Circumstances to the University;
advise you on how to submit an Academic Appeal if you have missed the Extenuating Circumstances deadline, or you circumstances have been refused;
advise you on how to take an Interruption of Study and what you need to think about when deciding what to do;
signpost you to other support services.

Does the University provide support for student carers?

If you declare via enrolment that you are a carer, Cardiff University should contact you in the autumn term to discuss support that you can access while studying. This includes the opportunity to talk to someone in confidence about anything to do with being at university, looking after your own health and wellbeing, additional financial support and managing your studies.

There is a dedicated contact for carers at Cardiff University. For further information contact Together at Cardiff on 029 22 51 88 88 or studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk.

Further information about the support that may be available to you through the University can be found here.

Will there be information for Student Carers available on open days?

At an Open Day, visitors will have the opportunity to talk to students and staff and visit different parts of the University. You can also find out important information about accommodation, student finance and other student support provision by talking informally to our professional staff.

When you book to attend an Open Day you will have the opportunity to disclose that you are a carer. If you do this, you may be invited to attend a breakfast drop-in session to meet key members of staff who can help you plan your day and answer any questions you have.

Is Financial Support available from the University?

The Young Adult Carers Bursary provides full time undergraduate and postgraduate young adult carers with a bursary each year of their academic course. If you have any questions about the bursary, we encourage you to contact Lena Smith (studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk).

Additionally, you may be eligible for the Cardiff University Bursary depending on your household income and when you started your course. Young carers may be eligible for this bursary as well as the Together at Cardiff Bursary. For more information on the bursaries mentioned above, please contact the Student Advice and Money Team, via Student Connect.

Is there any External support available for student carers?

UCAS recognises that student carers possess skills and personal qualities which are highly desirable in higher education and further employment. They have created this handy tool to help student carers articulate these skills in personal statements and job applications.

Carers UK are a charity who support carers and provide advice on finance, health, relationships and more.

The NHS website has some useful information regarding a Carer's Assessment, which includes recommendations that may help to make a carer’s life easier. They are free and anyone over 18 is eligible.

Contact Student Advice

Advice@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410

Last updated: 08 Oct 2025 14:46