Postgraduate Study
NNECL are delighted that the number of care experienced students going on to study at taught postgraduate level is akin to their non care experienced peers.
Finance
There is an option to apply for student finance for your Postgraduate study. Check out our finance pages, which includes guides from Student Finance England to discover what is available for you: Student Finance
However, depending on your level of study, you might be entitled to external funding support, just like The Davis Scholarship seen below. Postgraduate study can be funded through a range of competitive scholarships, click here for more information.
Some universities are also offering bursaries for PG Study, and we are happy to be starting to see this more and more across the sector. Check out the finance pages on your institution's website to see what is available.
We recommend speaking with your local authority to see if you are eligible for support. We know this isn't widely available, however some local authorities may have an offer.
Choosing a Course
Not sure where to start? We have some helpful guides and websites to get you started. Check out the links below.
Step-by-Step Guide: PhD Applications Prospects: Applying for a Masters Degree Clinical Psychologist AdviceA Guide to Research Fellowships
Durham University: The Davis Scholarship
The Department of Sociology at Durham University has launched a new PhD scholarship exclusively for applicants with care experience. The Davis Scholarship is named after Jahnine Davis, who is a care experienced research leader, National Kinship Care Ambassador and founder of UK national research and training organisation Listen Up.
The successful candidate will undertake a full-time PhD (and Master’s if required) in the Sociology Department at Durham University from 1st October 2025. The scholarship offers an enhanced package of support valued at over £160,000 to one successful candidate. This includes additional funding to provide clinical supervision, peer support from other care-experienced academics and an enhanced stipend to cover living costs.
The scholarship is available to applicants with a range of care experience. This includes but is not limited to:
- Those who may have lived with foster carers
- Those who may have lived in a residential children's home
- Those who were cared for at home under a supervision order
- Those who lived with friends or relatives in kinship care either formally or informally.
The closing date for applications is Friday 18 April 2025. For more information, please click here.
Oxford University, Care-Experienced Academic Futures
The Care-Experienced Academic Futures Scholarships offer financial support to pursue graduate study at Oxford to students who have experienced being in care in the UK to pursue graduate study at Oxford.
For the purposes of selection, ‘care experienced’ means someone who, at any stage of their life before the age of 18, and for any length of time, has spent time:
- living with foster carers under local authority care; or
- living in a residential children's home; or
- being 'looked after at home’ under a supervision order; or
- living with friends or relatives in kinship care – either through a formal arrangement (such as a Special Guardianship order) or an informal arrangement, without local authority support.
- This includes anyone adopted from care before the age of 18.
You do not have to meet the legal definition of being a care leaver to be considered for this scholarship.
Support is being provided by funding partners across the University and colleges. These scholarships are open to applicants to all academic subjects and will provide funding packages to assist with course fees and living costs.
Eligibility
The Care-Experienced Academic Futures scholarships are open to applications from those who have been in care in the UK at some point in their life, and faced barriers to progressing their education. Applicants must hold an offer to commence a postgraduate degree, starting in the 2024-25 academic year.
