Estranged Students

If you're currently at school, college or sixth form, and interested in applying to LSE at undergraduate level, our Widening Participation team run a range of events and activities that are free to attend and will give you an insight into LSE’s degree programmes and student life. Estranged students are listed as priority criteria for places wherever possible, and our supportive team will help ensure you get the most out of taking part. All travel costs are reimbursed to and from in-person Widening Participation activities.

LSE's Student Recruitment and Study Abroad team also run two open days for prospective undergraduate students each year, an offer holders' day. If an Open Day is already fully booked, please get in touch with us at ard.lsecares@lse.ac.uk to see how we can help.

If you live more than 50 miles away from the LSE campus, you may be eligible to apply for the LSE Travel Fund. The LSE Travel Fund contributes towards the cost of standard rail or coach travel to and from the LSE campus for eligible prospective undergraduate students. If you are unable to afford to pay for your travel in advance, please do get in contact and we can discuss how we may be able to support you.

[Undergraduate students with Home fee status only]

LSE uses contextual information to gain a more complete picture of your educational and individual context. When our admissions selectors review applications, they consider an applicant’s personal and educational circumstances, as well as both achievement and potential. If your education has been disrupted by your estrangement, we would strongly recommend you complete an Extenuating Circumstances form. Here you can provide information about your estrangement and the impact this may have had on your studies so far, so this can be considered as part of our contextual admissions process.

You must complete the Extenuating Circumstances form within two weeks of your application.

Find out more about contextual admissions here.

Our assessors take a holistic view of all applications for postgraduate taught study. Therefore, when completing the application form, we encourage you to include any information about how your personal circumstances have impacted your education to date.

• LSE Care-experienced and Estranged Student Bursary (£1,000, not means-tested)

This is not means-tested. When you complete your UCAS and Student Finance application, you will have the opportunity to share whether you are estranged (this is referred to as 'independent' in the SFE application). If you answer ‘Yes’ to this question, this will be shared with LSE and you will automatically receive this bursary when you enrol at LSE. Find out more on our Care Experienced and Estranged Student Bursary webpage.

• LSE Undergraduate Bursary Scheme (up to £4,250, means-tested)

If you apply for a means-tested loan via Student Finance England, they'll share your information with LSE. Bursaries are automatically awarded to any UK undergraduate student with a household income of up to £50,000. Find out more on our LSE Bursaries webpage.

• LSE Accommodation Bursary (up to £2,750, means-tested)

If you book to live in LSE Halls for your first year, we offer a reduction of up to £2,750 on your accommodation fees if you’re an eligible undergraduate student. Find out more on our Accommodation Bursary webpage.

• LSE Scholarships

We offer a range of different scholarships for students from different backgrounds, we encourage all offer holders to apply. To be considered, you need to complete and submit an Undergraduate Scholarship Application Form by the deadline of 01 June 2026.

• University of London Intercollegiate Halls Scholarship

For students who are care leavers, care experienced (Scotland), or estranged from their family who meet outlined eligibility criteria found on the UoL Scholarships for Intercollegiate Halls webpage, this scholarship provides, free of charge, a catered standard single study bedroom at Nutford House or a catered en-suite room at College Hall, for 2026-27 academic year, for up to five full-time students, registered at included University of London Member Institutions, including LSE. For more information, visit the UoL Scholarships for Intercollegiate Halls webpage.

Should you face unforeseen financial hardship, there are two School funds and one LSESU administrated fund available for LSE students facing financial difficulty mid-course.

• LSE Access Fund and Student Support Fund: The maximum amount is typically £4000. You can find out more information here.
• LSESU Hardship Fund: The maximum amount is typically £2000. More information can be found here.

We can offer 52 week contracts in our student accommodation. To request this, please include this request in the booking form under the question regarding "other support needs". If you have already submitted the form, please email accommodation@lse.ac.uk.

If you're an undergraduate student, you can book accommodation each year for the duration of your degree, subject to you following our booking process. If you would like to live in private accommodation after your first year then you can apply for LSE to be your rent guarantor free of charge as an estranged student.

If you are an estranged student and are unable to pay your £250 accommodation deposit for LSE Halls, please contact our Residential Services Office at accommodation@lse.ac.uk to advise us of your circumstances so that we can assist you with your booking and waive your deposit.

Within the departments, your central point of contact is your Academic Mentor. They can give you academic guidance and feedback, but also guidance on non-academic issues.

Some departments also have Departmental Senior Student Advisers who can help you navigate (alongside your Academic Mentor) the advice and support services available to you, and will assist you with your wellbeing needs.

If you are an undergraduate student, you can also reach out to your Departmental Tutors, who act as an alternative point of contact and can assist with more complex queries. For postgraduate students, your Programme Director can assist you with further support.

Outside of the department, the LSE LIFE team offers a range of academic support, including one-to-one support and group workshops. Further help is offered by the Academic Support Librarians and the Digital Skills Lab. Further information about academic support outside of the department can be found on the Academic Support webpage.

The LSE Careers team offer targeted careers support for students who are care experienced, have caring responsibilities, are the first generation of their family to attend university, or are LSE bursary holders. By signing up to the mailing list you will receive updates on targeted careers support, employer events and programmes. Find out more on the Careers Social Mobility webpage.

Their service offers a range of support, including but not limited to:

• 1.1 guidance appointments
• Practice interviews
• CV and cover letter feedback

This support continues for up to 5 years after graduation.

If you are a first year student, estranged students can have early access to the Student Academic Mentor Programme. The Student Academic Mentor (SAM) programme is an undergraduate-only programme that matches second- and third-year undergraduate mentors with undergraduate students from the same department who’d like a mentor. First year estranged students will be prioritised to be matched with a mentor when starting at LSE. Please note that this mentor may be from a different department depending on availability. Please email ard.lsecares@lse.ac.uk if you’d like to discuss this opportunity further.

The Disability and Mental Health Service offers confidential advice and support to all disabled students. This includes support for students with physical impairments, long-term health conditions, mental health conditions, specific learning difficulties, and autistic spectrum conditions. Their advisors can put practical MyAdjustments in place, offer practical support around managing your studies, as well as helping with support if you are having a crisis or need urgent help

LSE also has a Student Wellbeing Service for any student who would like to discuss support for their mental health and wellbeing. The Wellbeing Advisers will help you to explore the support that would be most helpful to you, including workshops & groups, self-care strategies, peer support, support from a Disability or Mental Health Adviser, referral to the LSE Counselling Service and signposting to LSE and external resources.

LSE also has a Counselling Service that offers a private and confidential space for students to talk with a trained professional about anything in your life which is impacting on your psychological wellbeing and daily life. Counsellors don’t provide advice or solutions but work with you to reflect on whatever you are finding difficult and help to identify healthier strategies to manage this.

The LSE Faith Centre hosts a wide range of religious and wellbeing activities for all LSE students and is working to create a fully faith-inclusive campus. The centre offers a range of wellbeing services such as Ashtanga Yoga, Tai Chi and Meditation, alongside quiet spaces for reflection.

All of Us is an online and in person community for estranged and care-experienced students across the UK. They run free in-person events and meet ups open to all students who identify as care experienced and estranged.

EACS (estranged and care-experienced students) guide is a virtual guide written by estranged and care-experienced students to bring together information and advice to help other students from the same background.

Together Estranged is an international peer-support group that aims to support and empower those estranged from family. ‘We empower people who’ve lost family relationships due to childhood trauma, abuse, lack of acceptance for being LGBTQ+ and more, promoting their strength and inner healing.’