University application fees for care leavers to be scrapped by Ucas
Ucas has confirmed that care leavers across the UK will no longer need to pay application fees for university or college.
It is an important step aimed at closing the persistent gap in access to higher education for this demographic group.
The admissions body has announced that the current £28.95 fee will be waived for those who have experienced the care system and applied to start their studies in autumn 2027.
In an interview with the Press Association, Ucas chief executive Dr. Jo Saxton highlighted the service’s aim to “remove the barrier to accessing higher education for the group least likely to pursue higher education”.
“The reason we do this is because care leavers are the least likely group in society to go to university,” Dr Saxton said.
“We can play a small role in trying to do something about this, so we’re removing that barrier.”
Ucas has announced it will abolish the application fee for students receiving free school meals in 2024, which it says has benefited 40,000 young people in its first year.
“Many people with care experience will be served under our (free school meals) exemption, but there is also a group who are not financially disadvantaged and so we want to make sure they don’t miss out on that opportunity,” Dr Saxton said.
Around 13 per cent of care leavers in England went on to higher education by age 19, according to the latest figures for 2023/24. This was three times lower than the 46 per cent of all other students pursuing higher education.
The application fee waiver will apply to care leavers by their 25th birthday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by their 26th birthday in Scotland, in line with the statutory definition.
Dr Saxton told the Press Association: “What is very loud and clear from those who benefit from our university is that they often do not know who care leavers or care experienced students are.”
“And it’s something I experienced myself when I was an academic. I remember being completely shocked; I was teaching at Cambridge University and in the middle of my second year as a student I realized they were experienced in care and the wider university wasn’t aware of it because they didn’t tell them. And it’s something we hear all the time.”
Ucas hopes that care leavers will feel comfortable letting them know they are in care when they apply, so they can point them in the direction of extra support available at the universities they are looking at.
The move comes at a time when students are increasingly concerned about costs and the cost of living at university.
“We talk to young people all the time at Ucas and one of the things that really surprised me during my time here was that they told us loud and clear that they were worried about the costs today,” Dr Saxton said.
He added that many students do not view tuition fees as a barrier to attending college, but other costs as well.
“I had a very moving conversation with a student at Nottingham Trent who described how she had to hide the application fee from her mother because things were so tight at home,” Dr Saxton said.
“And that’s the thing about overcoming this mechanism, so that’s not the hard conversation.”
A survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) earlier this week found that more than half of parents say they contribute at least £200 a month towards their child’s living costs at university, with many saying this is detrimental to their finances.
Latest data from Ucas also revealed that a record number of 18-year-olds starting university in autumn 2025 plan to live at home while studying, especially if they come from poorer backgrounds.
The government has announced it will reintroduce maintenance grants to students studying certain subjects from 2028/29 in a bid to help, but the NUS has called for them to go further and reform the household income thresholds that determine how much support students will receive.
When asked whether income thresholds should be looked at, Dr. Saxton said: “Obviously I would support anything that could help increase participation by encouraging students to apply.
“I am pleased that the government is taking action on maintenance.”
The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) and the care charity have welcomed Ucas waiving the application fee for care leavers.
Become’s director of services, Chloe Grant, said: “We know care leavers face many challenges getting to university.
“Many people will have to leave care without the support they need, making financial barriers harder to overcome.
“The removal of the Ucas application fee is an important and welcome step in making university accessible to more young people with great talent and potential.”
