Report: Going To University From Care – Beyond The Headlines (CELCIS)

CELCIS (the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland) has published a new briefing going behind the common headlines that indicate only a small proportion of care experienced young people in Scotland go to university, compared to their peers.

The publication of this briefing coincides with students either starting or returning to their studies for the new academic year.

Interrogation of data concerning care experienced young people’s educational journeys starts to reveal a more complicated picture than the ‘going to university gap’ between students that are care experienced and those that are not. Achievements of care experienced young people in further education are often overlooked. It also shows that while routes to university may be less direct, this is a route taken more often than some headline figures used alone would suggest.

The relevant policies, legislations and bursaries in place for care experienced students based at Scottish institutions are also set out within this briefing, as well as looking at why declaring care identity matters.

‘Going to university from care’ is the first in a new series of CELCIS briefings – Beyond the Headlines – aimed at providing further information and analysis on some commonly reported statistics relating to children and young people in care, care leavers, and care experienced people in Scotland.

The full report can be found here: https://www.celcis.org/knowledge-bank/search-bank/beyond-headlines-going-university-care/.