UCR - University Centre Reaseheath
University Centre Reaseheath

Care Leavers

Why UCR?

At UCR, our purpose is to equip you with the skills to grow, progress and achieve more than you ever thought possible. We cultivate transformation and opportunity through our innovative and inclusive curriculum. 

As a Care Leaver at UCR, you will be able to access our full range of support services if required, including access to:

  • bursaries and financial support
  • mental health and wellbeing services
  • disability support


Our medium sized University Centre means that you will have access to personal academic tutors, librarians and support staff when needed, as well as a named contact for Care Leavers.

Our active Student Association is accessible for all and encourages participation from all students, and we provide on-site, term time accommodation for over 1000 students in a range of accommodation types.

Photo of Clock Tower on Building

Why choose Higher Education?

Find Your Purpose.

Maybe university has always been a life goal? Perhaps you are the first in your family to go? Invest in your future by gaining an internationally recognised qualification, which is yours to keep forever. You even get postnominal letters! 

By focusing on innovation and sustainability, a UCR degree will equip you with the tools you need to lead the industry in exploring new land-based solutions to emerging challenges to help create a better world. 

Progress your career

Having a degree makes you more attractive to employers, you’ll have a greater choice of jobs and you’ll earn more. The average salary is £30,000 (source: highfliers.co.uk). 

A degree opens up a wider range of career choices. Some jobs require a degree, and even if they don’t many employers look favourably on higher level qualifications such as university degrees. 

There is high demand for skilled graduates in the land-based, technical and STEM industries. A degree from UCR will give you the academic skills and practical knowledge that employers want and the competitive edge that will allow you to take advantage of the career opportunities in the industries that we serve.

Gain confidence

Increase your knowledge of the area you are interested in with the top experts in their fields, while developing the essential transferable skills you’ll need in your career, such as communication, organisation, time management, teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills. You will also gain confidence, independence, resilience, integrity and responsibility throughout your studies, which are all a large part of studying at a higher level.  

A higher education degree from UCR is a high-quality qualification validated by University of Chester. You can be confident that all of our degrees have been designed in partnership with industry to ensure that graduates have the academic knowledge and practical skills that employers need. 

Experience student life

Yes you’re expected to work hard, but uni is also fun. Whatever your interests, there are a huge range of clubs and societies to diversify your social life.

UCR offers a nurturing and inclusive environment. Meet likeminded people who are on the same journey as you, make lifelong friends, and create lasting memories.

How to Apply

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To study a degree in the UK you will need to apply through UCAS. The application form will ask you for some personal information, including your education and employment history, and the courses and universities you want to apply for. You will also need to write a personal statement about why you are suitable to study the course. This may all seem a bit daunting at first, but we hope that the following information is helpful to you while you complete your application.

For part-time course, you will need to apply directly through Reaseheath by completing one of our application forms.

Please provide us with as much information as possible to support your application. Once we receive your form we will make contact with you to invite you to attend an informal interview.

Whichever course you choose to study, there will be some entry requirements you will have to meet. You can find details of the entry requirements (including the number of UCAS points you need) for all of the courses we offer at University Centre Reaseheath on the course pages of our website.

When you submit your university application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your ability to study at the appropriate level, and any relevant experience related to your course. Any qualifications you’ve already taken will also need to be included in your application.

A wide range of qualifications are accepted for university applications. If the qualifications you have aren’t on our list of entry requirements, please get in touch with us to discuss your application as we may still be able to accept the qualification you do have.

Equally, if you don’t have the qualifications needed to study your chosen degree, it would still be worth getting in touch with us to see what we can do. Your work experience and the skills you have may be sufficient for the degree you wish to study. Being a mature student will give you an advantage as your extra employment history can work in your favour.

For full-time courses, more information on undergraduate entry requirements can be found on the UCAS website.

For full-time courses, a large part of the UCAS application is your personal statement. This is your chance to explain the reasons why you would be a great candidate to study the courses you are applying for, such as your academic achievements and your relevant interests. It might help you to think about the skills your university course will require, such as communication skills or team working, and then write about when and how you have gained those skills. 

Apply Now

For full-time courses, you will need to apply online through UCAS.

For part-time course, you will need to apply directly through Reaseheath.

Financial support

University Centre Reaseheath is committed to providing additional financial support to those who need it. Our bursary schemes are designed to ensure that you can access, thrive and succeed in Higher Education at UCR. We know that managing finances as a student can be particularly challenging, especially for care leavers who may be faced with other financial commitments.  

To help you fund your studies, we recommend you spend time planning your finances and looking into the funding opportunities available to you.  

Funding opportunities & bursaries

If you haven’t already explored the different finance and funding opportunities available to you, visit our finance page to find out more about the loans, bursaries and scholarships available.  

It would also be worth visiting the student finance for mature students section of the UCAS website, as there may be other grants, loans, bursaries, or scholarships for students in particular circumstances (e.g. if you are a parent) that you could be eligible for.  

If you require any further information, contact our finance team as soon as possible for help and advice.  

FAQs

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A Care Leaver is a person who has been in care for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14, including some point at the age of 16 or 17.

Care Experienced is often used interchangeably with Care Leaver, but Care Experienced is a wider definition meaning someone who has been in care at some point in their life, and normally includes those who have left the care system through adoption or those who have been looked after informally by someone other than their parents.

The easiest way to tell UCR about your care experience is by ticking the box on the UCAS application. You will be asked to share the duration of your care experience but you will not have to share any further information at this stage.

Visit our finance & fees page to find out more about applying for a student loan and additional financial support.

As a Care Leaver or Care Experience person at UCR, you will be able to access the full range of support services, such as our financial bursaries and hardship funds, personal academic tutors, our learning resources team and any wellbeing support you may require. Information about our financial support can be found here.

All full-time higher education students can apply for residential accommodation. We don’t currently offer 365 day accommodation, but would advise you to discuss personal circumstances with our accommodation team, who may be able to assist you with finding year round accommodation. For more information about our accommodation types, see our accommodation pages.

You will need to attend your timetabled sessions. During non-timetabled days you can choose to study on campus in a variety of study spaces or at home, where you will be able to access most college systems off site.

Our Progression and Inclusion lead is Sophie Cuthbert. Please contact Sophie.cuthbert@reaseheath.ac.uk or call 01270 613 199.

For more information, please visit the Propel website.

Find the course for you

We offer a range of degree programmes in a variety of subject areas which provide you with the opportunity to study a range of additional industry recognised qualifications, to help you achieve above and beyond what you ever thought possible in your career.