The Student Carer Experience in Scotland

The research illuminates the lived experiences of student carers across Scotland’s colleges and universities, including the perspectives of those supporting them. Through an investigation of the challenges student carers face, and the barriers to accessing support, the research makes recommendations and suggestions to improve the studying experience for carers.

Key points

• Applying to college and university can be difficult for carers, faced with difficult considerations, such as whether or not they can move away from the person they care for to study.
• Studying itself can be difficult, with multiple demands on carers’ time making it difficult for them to attend all their classes, meet coursework deadlines and socialise with peers.
• Accessing support can be difficult, as student carers find it hard to reach out for support, and college and university staff face challenges in reaching their student carer population.
• To allow carers to flourish in their studies, the report recommends and suggests that support should be proactive, flexible and tailored to suit their unique circumstances.