Meet Kate, Student Support Adviser
Student carers
A carer is defined as anyone who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help and cannot cope without their support. At Herts, we want you to know that we are here to support you in your time at University to ensure you have a good student experience.
Supporting you
We know you’ll have a lot of different responsibilities and we’re here to help you throughout your time at University. We want to support you in the ways that work best for you, so it’s important you let us know your situation when you start at Herts.
If you’re a young adult carer (aged 18 – 25 years old) check out what support is available to you from our Widening Access and Student Success (WASS) team.
Or alternatively, if you’re aged over 25 years old, read on to find out how we can support you.
Financial support
If you’re a student carer and find yourself in financial difficulty, there are plenty of ways we can help you. We have our dedicated Student Funding and Financial Support team who can provide you with guidance on money matters and talk you through the application process for our University Financial Assistance Fund, if you’re eligible.
Study support
As a student, you’ll be able to get in touch with your personal tutor or supervisor for support and to chat through your circumstances and needs. You can also speak with your programme leader, module leader, or whoever you feel most comfortable with.
All our teams are really friendly and can point you in the right direction to the support services or relevant policies, you may need. Tutors may also be able to arrange a time for you to discuss work you have missed, and your teaching staff may be able to arrange for missed lecture notes to be sent to you. We’re here to support your individual needs whatever they may be.
Your wellbeing
Caring can be tough and Student Wellbeing can support you with any emotional or mental health issues you may experience during your time at University. All services are confidential and delivered by trained and experienced staff.
You can also talk to Herts SU's Advice and Support team who offer confidential and impartial advice on a wide range of issues or our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team.
Our main priority at the University is to ensure you have a positive student experience, so we’re all here to support you every step of the way.
'My name is Kate and part of my role at Herts is to be someone who carers can come along and talk to about how the University can best support them to achieve their goals. We know balancing caring responsibilities and studies can be difficult, so there are a variety of teams who are here to support you on your journey. The Student Wellbeing team can support you with any mental health or emotional stress you may be experiencing, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team can support you with further advice and provide various resources, and our Widening Access and Student Success team can offer personalised support for young adult carers. Together, we want to make your experience as stress-free and amazing as possible.'