Care Experienced Week 2025 – Tick the Box: One Small Action, to Big Impact

For Care Experienced Week, we’re shining a light on what it really means to tick the box when applying to college or university — and why that simple action can open doors to the support you’re entitled to. When we say ‘ticking the box’, we mean letting the college or university know at application stage that you are care experienced.

Ticking the box is confidential and only shared with a small, dedicated support team. It helps them make sure you have access to the right help — whether that’s with housing, finance, wellbeing, or just having someone to talk to.

Too often, people don’t tick it because they’re unsure what it means or worry how it might be seen. But that single tick can make all the difference — helping you get in, stay in, and succeed in education.

In this post, our senior associate Alistair shares their journey of ticking the box and how it helped them feel supported, confident, and part of a community that truly understands.

“I ticked the box because I knew I was care experienced, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I thought it was just for data or something. But actually, it was there to make sure I had the right support in place if I needed it. I took up the offer and it really helped. I was given a named contact who checked in with me, and I found out about extra support like the Care Experienced Bursary, discretionary funding, and scholarships. It made me feel less intimidated by the whole process of Further and Higher Education and helped me put some worries aside so I could focus more on my work. Knowing that support was there from day one gave me confidence and a real sense of belonging.”