University application fee for care leavers to be scrapped by Ucas
Care leavers no longer have to pay to apply for university
- UCAS has announced that care leavers across the UK will no longer be required to pay application fees for university or college.
- The £28.95 fee will be waived for those who have experienced the care system and are applying to begin their studies in autumn 2027.
- UCAS chief executive Dr Jo Saxton stated the initiative aims to remove a barrier for care leavers, who are the group least likely to progress to higher education.
- The application fee waiver will apply to care leavers up to their 25th birthday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and up to their 26th birthday in Scotland.
- The move has been welcomed by organisations including the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) and care charity Become, who see it as a vital step to improve access.