Further and higher education

Some young people will decide that they want to continue their education following school. For many, this will mean going to college or university. Young people who wish to go to college and study at any level up to National Certificate level should approach their local college directly for information on the application process. Levels above National Certificate go through the UCAS system.

UCAS applications

Applying for a place at college or university anywhere in the United Kingdom is normally made through the University and College Applications Service (UCAS), which processes all applications and passes these to the relevant universities.

The UCAS application form includes a question about experience of the care system, inviting applicants to indicate whether they have been in care. The purpose of this is primarily to give statistical information on the number of care leavers entering higher education. However, universities who have been awarded the Buttle Trust Quality Mark will be using this information to ensure that these students are made aware of the support available to them as care leavers.

Applicants do not need to disclose their background if they do not wish to do so. The information will not influence a college or university when deciding whether or not to offer the applicant a place.

The Buttle Trust Quality Mark

The Frank Buttle Trust awards a Quality Mark to higher education providers who can demonstrate that their commitment to care leavers is embedded in their strategic policy framework, and can show how they will implement and monitor their commitment. Institutions need to apply to the Trust to be considered for the Quality Mark.

The Quality Mark was developed following a five-year action research study which examined the challenges faced by young people who had been in the care of local authorities in attending higher education. The final research report, 'Going to university from care', was published in May 2005 and demonstrated that those who did succeed did so against considerable odds, both in terms of pre-entry support, and support by the higher education provider.

The Trust then worked with a range of higher education providers and local authorities to develop the statement of commitment to care leavers in higher education.

The commitment recognises the challenges faced by care leavers entering higher education and seeks to:

• facilitate an increase in the numbers entering higher education
• raise awareness of the needs of care leavers
• enable care leavers to make the most of their time in higher education and to complete their courses successfully
• help higher education providers to identify how best to support care leavers, and
• contribute to a national framework to assist local authorities to fulfil their obligations to care leavers.

The Quality Mark scheme was launched in Scotland in September 2007 at the University of Glasgow. 

In Scotland the Quality Mark has been awarded to the universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde and Abertay Dundee.