Students with caring responsibilities

About

Student parents have responsibility for caring for a biological or adoptive child or for fostering a child on a short or long-term basis.

Student carers are responsible for providing unpaid care to a partner, friend or family member who needs support due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their help.

Some students juggle the immense responsibility of caring for a child, a partner, a friend, or a family member or sometimes all of the above, in the case of ‘sandwich’ or multigenerational carers. These Students with Caring Responsibilities (SCRs) are tasked with balancing academic life with the weight of caregiving, a role that often comes at a steep personal cost. Beyond the logistical hurdles of rigid timetables and financial pressure, the emotional strain is real.

Many SCRs struggle with a lack of personal time, reduced opportunities to engage in campus life, and an isolating, persistent feeling of inadequacy as they fight to keep up with their studies while caring for the people who matter most.

Context

In 2023, UCAS introduced new questions allowing students to disclose parenting or caring responsibilities, providing crucial insight into the intersection of caregiving and student well-being.

Data shows that applicants with caring responsibilities are significantly more likely to report a disability or mental health condition, highlighting a clear need for targeted support.

While these applicants represent 5.3% of UK university applicants (likely an under-representation compared to the 20% of the population providing unpaid care) the demographic breakdown reveals that a majority are women and young adults (59% aged 24 or under).

Furthermore, caring responsibilities are more prevalent among Black applicants, especially those aged 26 and over.

Given the high overlap with mental health needs, many of these students gravitate toward health and social care subjects, likely reflecting their personal experiences and skills in providing support.

UCAS Students with Caring Responsibilities Research Snapshot

Research

Recent research into student carers and student parents has increasingly focused on wellbeing and mental health, notably through the 'Who Cares?' project, funded by SMaRteN - the Student Mental Health Network, funded by UKRI.

This project sought to build an evidence base regarding the mental health challenges SCRs face, particularly the struggle to maintain work-life balance while navigating the university journey.

Who Cares?

The research utilised standardized mental health measures, including the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), to assess the psychological impact of students' caring responsibilities.

Findings revealed significant mental health challenges: participants reported that the intersection of study and caring often led to the neglect of their personal mental wellbeing, with emotional care and end-of-life care responsibilities having particularly detrimental effects.

Furthermore, lower levels of mental wellbeing were strongly linked to reduced engagement in social and extracurricular activities, highlighting the isolating nature of these pressures.

However, the concept of 'care capital' also emerged, reframing the experience by identifying how caring can foster psychological strengths. SCRs often demonstrated significant resilience, including enhanced self-belief, independence, compassion, and emotional intelligence, which supported their drive and determination to succeed in their studies.

Who Cares? Final Report

The care-less academy? Making space for parents and carers in higher education