At King’s College London, we recognise that being estranged can have a significant impact on your experience at university. King’s assists undergraduate students who have lost family contact and are no longer supported by their families through a series of supported measures to facilitate a successful transition into, throughout and beyond their time at university. To access the support provided to estranged undergraduate students at King’s, your estranged status must be verified by King’s.

If you have been directed to this page after completing the care and estranged-based questions as part of your enrolment or re-enrolment, this webpage has instructions on how you can verify your estranged status with us. Visit our verification section on this webpage to check if you are eligible for support and to be verified. You will be required to complete an online form and upload supporting documentation.

If you have already been verified by King's as estranged, you don't need to complete this task.

Please note: The process on this webpage is only applicable for current King's students. If you have been offered a place to study at King’s College London, but have not started your course yet, or you are looking to apply to King’s, please follow the pre-entry guidance page for estranged students. 

Financial Support

• Care-experienced and Estranged Student Bursary – This bursary is £1000 per academic year and is available for care-experienced, care leavers and estranged undergraduate students who have been verified by King’s.
• King’s Living Bursary – Open to every full-time, home, first-degree student, this bursary is awarded on a means-tested household income basis. The bursary is worth up to £1600 per academic year.
• King’s Student Fund - This support is a limited discretionary fund to assist students on low incomes who may need extra financial support for their course and to stay in higher education.

Accommodation Support

• 52-week accommodation contracts – Securing safe, year-round accommodation is often a concern for many students who are estranged from their parents. We therefore offer 52-week accommodation contracts. To receive this support, please notify King’s Residences that you would like to stay for 52-weeks. These contracts are only available in specific halls.
• Guaranteed accommodation in a King’s residence for all years of undergraduate study – We offer all estranged students the option to secure guaranteed accommodation in a King’s residential hall for all years of their undergraduate study. Find out more about our King's accommodation on our residences webpage.
• King’s Affordable Accommodation Scheme (KAAS) - Estranged students are eligible for the King’s Affordable Accommodation Scheme (KAAS), which caps the price of accommodation provided by King’s to £169 per week.
• Unite Scholarship – Available to estranged students, King’s has partnered with the Unite Foundation, which affords estranged students the opportunity to apply for the Unite Scholarship. Being awarded this scholarship allows estranged students to reside for free in a Unite halls of residence for up to 3 years of study, including the holiday periods.

Pastoral Support

Designated Faculty Wellbeing Advisor – All estranged students are assigned a designated Faculty Wellbeing Advisor who assists with initial inductions into the university. You can also arrange follow-up appointments, throughout your studies as you need. Your Wellbeing Advisor can also act as your first point of contact if you’re unsure who else to speak with at King’s.

Academic Support

Senior Personal Tutor – All students within King’s are allocated a personal tutor from within their Department or Faculty. Estranged students also have access to a more experienced Senior Tutor, who will act as a consistent tutor throughout their time at King’s. The Senior Personal Tutor has been provided with additional training to better support the needs of students with estranged from their parents, and can provide further support with academic struggles if required.

Career Support

Careers+ service – Estranged students are eligible to access the Careers+ service, which provides an enhanced careers support service beyond that offered to all other university students. The Careers+ service provides you with:

• Longer Careers Guidance appointments including via Skype and phone (30 minutes)
• Advance bookings for Careers Guidance appointments (two weeks in advance)
• Exclusive internship opportunities
• Bespoke termly newsletters
• Drop-in sessions with a Careers Consultant
• Exclusive workshops (including online sessions)

Opportunities and wider support

• Bespoke Newsletter – Each month, estranged students receive a bespoke newsletter, which contains a comprehensive list of internal and external opportunities and events that they are prioritised for, and practical information needed to support their academic, professional and personal development.
• Bespoke Inductions Into King’s – We host two events for estranged students to assist with their transition into university.

- Officially King’s: a welcome event in September, where you will have the opportunity to hear from the different services and teams across King’s about the support that will be available to you throughout your time at King’s.

- Care-experienced and Estranged Welcome Event: During the first term, first-year care-experienced, care leaver and estranged students are invited to a social event which affords you the opportunity to connect with students from a similar background.

• Bespoke Monthly Events – We believe that a sense of community is crucial for estranged students' wellbeing and academic success. We organize exclusive, tailored monthly events that bring together students with shared experiences, that help create a supportive environment where they can connect and thrive.
• Broadening Horizons Bursary (up to £900) – Estranged students are prioritised for the Broadening Horizons Bursary, which aims to increase the number of estranged students who can access global mobility (study abroad) opportunities.
• Graduation Support Package - We understand that attending graduation is a significant milestone for estranged students. We offer a complimentary graduation support package that removes any financial barriers to attend this celebration, including free gown hire, free guest tickets, and a free photography package.
• Care-experienced and Estranged Student Network – KCL CAR.ES is a network for care-experienced, care-leaver and estranged students focused on creating a safe and supportive community that feels visible and empowered, whilst facilitating the building of connections with students from similar backgrounds through the facilitation of events.
• The Buddy Scheme - The Buddy Scheme is organised by the King’s College London Students’ Union to help incoming first-year estranged students form friendships and find communities by matching them up with current undergraduates students in their 2^nd year or above. Buddy Mentors are there to answer their Mentees questions and signpost to useful resources.

Verifying your status after you have started your undergraduate course

On-course verification opens 4th September 2023 and closes 28th June 2024.

If you have started your undergraduate course at King’s College London, and wish to get your estranged status verified to access the support package outlined on this webpage, please complete the following steps:

Step 1: Check that you meet our definition of estrangement. 

Our definition of an estranged person is someone who no longer has the support of their parents (often this involves having no verbal or written contact), due to a breakdown in their relationship which has led to ceased contact, and is not set to change in the foreseeable future. This might mean your biological or, if you have been adopted, your adoptive parents – whoever has been responsible for supporting you in the past.

To be eligible for support at King’s you must also be under the age of 25 at the start of your undergraduate course, and be assessed as a home fee payer.

Please note: If you are unsure whether you meet the criteria to be verified estranged at King’s, please contact the King’s Advice Team (advice@kcl.ac.uk) for a consultation meeting, where they can discuss and advise on your circumstances.

Step 2: Collect your supporting documentation for submission

To complete the verification form, you will be required to submit supporting documentation to King’s to show that you meet King’s definition of estrangement. You need to submit two documents:

a) A letter or email from Student Finance confirming your estrangement status

Please submit the letter or email you received from the independent team at Student Finance confirming that you have been assessed as an independent student because you are irreconcilably estranged from both your parents.

Please note: We do not accept application form to be assessed as irreconcilably estranged. We only accept the outcome of your estrangement status from the independent team at student finance. To view what this letter would look like, please see our example Student Finance England estrangement confirmation letter (pdf).

b) Your notification of entitlement letter from student finance.

This will help us ensure that you are receiving the correct amount of maintenance loan. If you are unsure what this letter is, please see our example Student Finance England letter of entitlement (pdf).

Please note: If you are experiencing difficulties obtaining the required supporting documentation, please consult the verification guidance information on this webpage.

Step 3: Submit the form

Once you have followed steps 1 and 2, please complete the verification form for care-experienced and estranged students 2023/24.

Please note: This form is for students currently enrolled at King’s. If you have not enrolled yet to King’s, please visit the pre-entry estranged page.

For full guidance about the verification process, please consult the verification guidance section further down this webpage. 

Step 4: Verification outcome

Once you have submitted the verification form, we will contact you via your King’s email address to inform you of the outcome of the verification process within 2 weeks.

The guidance below is intended to help you complete the verification for estranged students. It outlines what each section of the form is and details how you can obtain the required supporting documentation.

You can access the King's verification form for care-experienced and estranged students on our online form.

A reminder that on-course verification opens 4th September 2023 and closes 28th June 2024.

Section 1: Personal Details

In this section you will be asked:

• First Name
• Surname
• Your King’s student ID number
• Your King’s email address
• Your preferred contact telephone number
• Name of your undergraduate course
• Name of your faculty
• Your age when you started your course at King’s
• What year of study you are in
• How many years of study you have remaining.

Section 2: Background

In this section you will be asked:

• Whether you are a care leaver, care-experienced or estranged.
• To provide supporting documentation of your estranged status, or for an explanation of why you are not able to provide this.
• Whether you have applied for student funding, and to upload your notification of entitlement award letter from Student Finance for the current academic year.

The information below should help you in answering these question:

Estranged definition

In the form you will be asked if you are estranged. An estranged person is someone who no longer has the support of both their parents (often this involves having no verbal or written contact), due to a breakdown in their relationship which has led to ceased contact and is not set to change in the foreseeable future. This might mean your biological or, if you have been adopted, your adoptive parents – whoever has been responsible for supporting you in the past.

You must be under 25 at the start of your course at King’s and assessed as a home fee payer.

Obtaining the supporting documentation

It is really important that you obtain supporting documentation where possible that shows you are estranged. This helps to ensure we give support to the right people.

What supporting documentation you need to provide

If you are estranged, you will need to provide the letter or email sent to you from Student Finance’s independent team confirming that you have been assessed as an independent student because you are irreconcilably estranged from your parents.

Please note: We do not accept application letters to be assessed as irreconcilably estranged. We only accept the outcome of your estrangement status from the independent team at student finance. To see an example letter confirming estrangement status see our Student Finance England letter of entitlement (pdf).

How to be assessed as estranged

If you have not been assessed as estranged by Student Finance previously, please proceed with the following steps:

1) Check whether you meet our definition of estrangement on this webpage.

2) Check the external Student Finance / UCAS pages to check whether you meet the definition of independent based on estrangement.

3) If you are unsure, contact the King’s Advice team (advice@kcl.ac.uk) for consultation on whether you would meet the criteria to be assessed by Student Finance England as independent due to estrangement.

4) Complete the Confirmation of Estrangement Form 2023/24 (pdf) and send it to Student Finance.

The form will need to be completed by an independent person of good standing in the community who knows the details of your estrangement from your parent (s). This could be:

• Your university/college – lecturer, personal tutor, student, or welfare adviser
• Your support worker
• Your social worker
• A doctor
• A solicitor

If you need to be reassessed as estranged

If you need to be reassessed by Student Finance as estranged follow steps 1-3 above. Before submitting the form in step 4, contact Student Finance to explain your situation (information can be found on the Student Finance England contact webpage) and that you would like a reassessment due to estrangement from your family. If your situation does not quite meet the definition of estrangement or you are unable to provide the requested supporting documentation in the confirmation of estrangement form, ask to speak to the independent team at Student Finance directly.

If you have been assessed as estranged but are not in possession of the documentation

You will need to send an email to the estrangement team (estranged@slc.co.uk) at Student Finance explaining that you need this information to access additional support at your university. They will usually be able to provide you with this information via email within a couple of days. Please note: King's are unable to access this information on your behalf as they are not allowed to share your information with anyone else.

Difficulties in obtaining the supporting documentation?

When completing the King’s Verification Form for Care-experienced and Estranged Students, if you struggle to obtain the necessary supporting documentation, you can answer ‘no’ to the question, ‘Can you supply evidence that you are a care leaver, care-experienced or estranged.’

You should only answer no to this question after you have attempted to gather supporting documentation from Student Finance England.

You will then be asked to explain why you cannot provide the necessary supporting documentation. Please give as full an answer as possible, explaining the steps you have taken to obtain these documents.

If you are unsure, contact the King’s Advice team (advice@kcl.ac.uk) for consultation on whether you would meet the criteria to be assessed by Student Finance England as independent due to estrangement.

What if I am both estranged and care-experienced?

If you are both care-experienced and estranged, you can select either of these on the form as the support you receive will be the same. Selecting estranged may be easier for you if you have already been assessed as estranged by student finance. You can read about the supporting documentation you would need to provide to be verified as care-experienced on the support for King's care-experienced and care leavers webpage.

What is the Student Finance Notification of Entitlement Award Letter?

You will be asked to provide your Student Finance Notification of Entitlement award letter. This information is usually sent to you in the post. If you no longer have a copy of the document, you can access a copy of this letter on your online Student Finance account under the tab letter and emails.  To see an example letter confirming estrangement status see our Student Finance England letter of entitlement (pdf).

Section 3: Data Sharing

In this section, you will be asked:

• If you agree to a data sharing agreement.

It is important that you read this in detail to ensure you understand how data will be shared across the university. If you do not agree, we will be unable to verify your status as an estranged student.  Find out more on our priority groups data collection statement webpage.

Section 4: Next steps

In this section, you are provided with:

• Links, which outline the support you are entitled to if verified as estranged.

Please read this page thoroughly so you understand how King’s can support you through your studies.

Form Submission

You then need to submit your form. We will contact you to inform you of the outcome of the verification process. You can normally expect to hear the outcome within two weeks of your form submission.

If you have any questions about completing this form, please contact us on cees_verification@kcl.ac.uk.

If you are unsure if you meet the criteria to be assessed as estranged by Student Finance, contact the King’s Advice and Guidance team (advice@kcl.ac.uk) for consultation and support.

Below you'll find a list of useful external links where you can find more information about support and advice for estranged students:

• Unite Foundation, This Is Us Community: The foundation provides a platform for care-experienced and estranged students in Higher Education to connect with each other and join a social network with other people from similar backgrounds.
• EaCES (Estranged and Care Estranged Students): A resource space that signposts to higher education support and guidance in an accessible way to care experienced, care leavers and estranged students.
• StandAlone: StandAlone offers advice and support services for all people experiencing estrangement. StandAlone also provides free workshop and resources that estranged students can use to support them throughout their time in Higher Education.