BrightsideUNIAID

FE to HE: Supporting Student Parents' Transition

BrightsideUNIAID is being funded by the Nuffield Foundation to pilot an innovative ementoring programme to support student parents during the transition from Further to Higher Education.

It should be a viable option for parents to become students to build their skills, improve their prospects and enjoy the lasting benefits that higher education brings them and their families. However, they face significant barriers.

With the costs, pressures and lifestyle changes that university brings, the decision to enter higher education is not an easy one. Alongside practical challenges of limited time, money and childcare, student parents often lack the information and support they need to make informed decisions and to prepare for, and cope with, the transition to higher education.

• Read Meet the Parents, the National Union of Students report on the experience of student parents in FE and HE

The project will support student parents studying at Level 3 in Further Education over two years to:

• make informed choices and prepare for the transition to HE
• adapt to university life and complete their first year

We will do this by providing them with:

• Online Information, advice and guidance – focused resources to support them at critical points (including study skills, budgeting, childcare, university life, time management)
• ‘Near-to-peer’ support from a mentor – beneficiaries will be mentored by an undergraduate student parent. The mentors will in turn have access to support from a university adviser and a peer-support group.

Getting involved

The project started in February 2010. The pilot project is running with five university and five Further Education partners.

The online resources will be accessible to all from summer 2010, we would welcome links with other websites in this area.

We are working with a number of partners to develop the project, including the National Union of Students and NASMA, but would welcome advice from other organisations with expertise of supporting student parents if you are interested in getting involved.

If you would like to find out more about the project, please call Jemma Samuels on 020 7785 3894 or email jemma.samuels@brightsideuniaid.org