Information for parents and supporters

There’s lots of support to help make university affordable. The first thing to bear in mind is students won’t start paying back their tuition fees until after they graduate and earn at least £25,000 a year. While at university, they will have access to maintenance loans and other help. We also offer hardship funds and bursaries, along with budgeting advice.

Students can find part-time work through our Students’ Union and employment agency Unitemps, with a variety of jobs that will fit around their studies.

Full-time undergraduate applications for UK students are made through UCAS. Your child can apply for up to five courses – whether that’s five different universities or multiple courses at the same one. We’ve produced a handy online guide for you.

The main UCAS deadline is in the January before the course starts. But you can still apply after this date. Our Admissions and Applicant Engagement Team is here to offer support. You can reach us by calling 01782 294400 or enquire online.

We’d love to welcome you onto campus. You can find out everything you need to know at one of our Open Days, which run at various points throughout the year. Your child can immerse themselves in subject sessions, hear from current students, meet their future lecturers and explore campus life.

We also offer Campus Tours, which are led by our student ambassadors. They will introduce you to the key spots on campus and some of our cutting-edge facilities.

Our ResLife team helps students settle into university accommodation. Whether it’s a chat over a cuppa or organising a community-building event, they help them feel part of student life. ResLife is based in our Village Hub – right in the heart of our new Student Village.

And if your child feels homesick, we’re here too. Support can include one-to-one appointments with our professional team. Our Wellbeing and Mental Health Team is also ready to help.

Our Welcome Week is a great opportunity to get to know other students and make friends. They can also explore our wide range of clubs and societies – whatever niche hobby or interest, they’ll find people who share their passions.

They will be joining an inclusive community, where every student can be themselves. We also have a diverse range of student networks, including groups catering for the LGBTQ+ community and different faiths and cultures.

Many of our students are commuters and we have excellent transport links, with a train station next to our Stoke-on-Trent campus, regular buses and cycle routes. Campus life is designed to fit around each student, so they could be relaxing with friends over lunch, hitting the gym after a lecture, or getting involved in our diverse range of student groups.

Our brand new Village Hub is open to all students, whether they commute or live on campus. It has study zones, offers social and wellbeing activities, and has flexible space for student-led events.

Support starts before they join us. We have a quiet programme at our Open Days, which is ideal for applicants who are neurodivergent, have anxiety, or hearing or visual impairments.

We also run transition events and taster sessions, including an autism transition residential experience where students can stay overnight with a supporter to familiarise themselves with university. They can opt for a quiet move-in to our accommodation as well.

Our Student Inclusion Team will work with you to ensure their individual needs are understood and met at university – from personalised study plans to one-to-one guidance. It could involve access to online recordings, extra time for assessments or assistive technology.