Students with caring responsibilities

To help any student contacting the Student Experience Team, we will record your student details, the information you tell us and the advice we give. This is to ensure continuity in the support we are able to offer and to internally monitor the service we provide. 

With your agreement, we will share information with other University staff - if required - to ensure you receive appropriate support. However, we reserve the right, in accordance with the University's duty of care to our students, to share information about you without your prior agreement if we believe you to be a risk of harm to yourself or others. 

Aggregated or individual data may be used for statistical or analytical purposes, including in written reports used by the University, but any data used in this way will be anonymised and no individuals will be identified. 

By using our services you are consenting to the above. 

Visit our Privacy and your data rights pages for further information about how the University uses data about students. 

Heriot-Watt is committed to giving access and opportunities to student carers and we recognise carers as one of our widening participation (WP) student groups.  By telling us you are a student carer we can provide access to a range of advice, guidance and support to help you succeed at university.  Please be reassured that any information you tell us will be dealt with confidentially. 

You can let us know you are a carer during the application stage by ticking the box on your UCAS application, emailing wp@hw.ac.uk, by ticking the box during your enrolment or at any point during your studies by emailing wpwellbeing@hw.ac.uk.

Caring responsibilities may change over time with the demands on carers increasing, diminishing or ending. We will ensure that you have the opportunity to discuss any changes in your caring responsibilities and what support you might need as a result. 

We recognise the diversity of caring responsibilities and situations. Therefore, a variety of supporting documentation may be accepted as confirmation of carer status. The following supporting documentation would normally be regarded as acceptable confirmation of the student’s status as a carer: 

• A doctor’s letter confirming the responsibility of caring for a close friend, relative or neighbour and any perceived impact on the student. (All campuses) 
• A local authority carers’ assessment (Scottish campuses) 
• A voluntary organisation assessment (All campuses) 
• A Young Carers Statement as per the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 (Scottish campuses) 
• A Young Carers Authorisation Card/Carers Authorisation Card (Scottish campuses). 
• A letter from a local carers centre or young carers project. (All campuses) 
• Receipt of Carers Allowance (part-time students only) (Scottish campuses). 
• Any other reasonable evidence (All campuses). 

The University may request further information or evidence to confirm caring status or any changes in circumstances to the student carer’s responsibility. 

Carers may choose not to disclose this information at the admissions or enrolment stage, or their caring responsibilities may lead them to disclose this information at a later stage. This could be due to the carers taking on new caring responsibilities while at university or existing caring responsibilities may require a greater commitment of time and effort. It is the responsibility of the carers to provide appropriate confirmation of their carer status. 

How can we support you? 

If you are thinking about coming to university find out how we can help you. 

We offer a named point of contact to support you throughout your time at university: 

Edinburgh campus 
Anna Skatun, Student Wellbeing and Transition Advisor, WPWellbeing@hw.ac.uk

Scottish Borders campus 
Gillian McLaughlin, Student Wellbeing Advisor, SBC.Wellbeing@hw.ac.uk

Additionally, our Student Success Advisors can provide advice from a recent graduate perspective on all aspects of student life:   

Edinburgh Campus: StudentSuccess@hw.ac.uk 

Scottish Borders Campus: SBC.Wellbeing@hw.ac.uk 

Every student has a member of academic staff allocated to them as a personal tutor who will be a key source of advice, guidance and support during your time at Heriot-Watt. 

Heriot-Watt Access Bursary

Prior to starting their studies with us, undergraduate students can apply for the Heriot-Watt Access Bursary which, if successful, provides extra financial support to help students from widening participation backgrounds with living costs.

Heriot-Watt Expenses Bursary

The Heriot-Watt Expenses Bursary offers eligible undergraduate students up to £525 to help cover the cost of attending university. This could be to purchase a laptop, pay for WiFi access or travel expenses.

Hardship Funds 

Students carers are given priority access to hardship and emergency funding from the Student Union Advice Hub if needed.

A Student Guide to Financial Support at Heriot-Watt

Get Ready for Success 

Student carers are encouraged to participate in Get Ready for Success, a three day event that takes place prior to Welcome Week which helps participants prepare for starting at Heriot-Watt. 

Pre-Entry Support Meeting 

New students will be invited to a one-to-one meeting with their named point of contact over summer to help ensure you have all the information and support you will need while studying with us.  

If you feel that you should have been contacted to arrange a meeting and haven’t received any communication, you can reach out to wp@hw.ac.uk.  

Ask a Student Success Advisor 

Ask a Student Success Advisor is a one-to-one email based support service available to students who have either an Unconditional Firm (UF) or Conditional Firm (CF) offer of a place at Heriot-Watt. It is an opportunity to ask a Student Success Advisor by email any questions you may have before beginning University. 

Student Wellbeing Services aim to provide a range of support, guidance and activities and advice to help students be their best and get the most out of their University experience.  

Safety and Security  

Safeguarding Services and support is available 24/7 on campus, and students have access to our SafeZone app. We also have an on-campus Residence Life team who provide activities and support to help ensure you feel welcome and settled if you are staying in halls of residence. 

Sometimes your caring responsibilities may affect study, such as missing classes or deadlines. We offer support to help manage this, but in some instances (where absences are likely to be frequent or prolonged), there may be the option of taking a temporary break from study, called a Temporary Suspension of Studies. 

Mitigating circumstances apply when a student is unable to complete an exam or piece of coursework, or not be able to do as well in an assessment as they otherwise might have. Ongoing caring responsibilities can mean that mitigating circumstances would apply on occasions to student carers. We would endeavour to ensure that student carers were not disadvantaged in assessments due to their caring responsibilities. 

Students at Edinburgh campus who are parents, or expectant parents, and carers are also welcome to join the Heriot-Watt University Parent and Carers Network: a group aimed at offering mutual support, resources, advice, and guidance for our students and staff with caring responsibilities as well as parents. Regular coffee mornings and socials are organised throughout the year to provide time to connect with others. To get involved, you can contact Mika by emailing equality@hw.ac.uk

Ordinarily, the definition of student carers (above) does not include parents and carers of children, the exception being where a child has particular care needs resulting from a disability. Parents may be eligible for support through the Childcare Fund. Similar to support in place for carers, parents are given appropriate consideration for Mitigating Circumstances requests and absences. 

Carers Trust Scotland - Carers Trust is the largest provider of comprehensive carers support services in Scotland. They work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. 

Edinburgh Young Carers - Edinburgh Young Carers is a voluntary organisation that provides respite and support to young people between the ages of 5 and 25 who care for somebody at home. 

Vocal - VOCAL supports and empowers unpaid carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian through individual support, information, training and access to services. 

Capital Carers - Capital Carers offers a wide range of support and services to unpaid carers of all ages from North West Edinburgh. Their Young Adult Carers Service provides emotional support, opportunities for personal development, and peer support, as well as short break provision.