42 Applicant Index Report 2026 Two elements of the experience of applicants who have been in care or are estranged from their parents come across strongly. Firstly, there are indicators of increased financial stress for this group in the run ‑ up to higher education. Compared with their peers, care‑experienced and estranged applicants are more likely to expect to rely on scholarships, bank loans and overdrafts to cover living costs. They are more likely to say financial issues are affecting their mental health, have a higher expectation of working during term time and are more likely to be concerned about the cost of learning resources such as books and software. The data also indicates that care‑experienced and estranged applicants have a different experience in terms of connection and belonging. It’s encouraging to see that they are more likely than other applicants to expect to feel they belong at university. At the same time, they are less certain about their welcome and treatment in higher education. They are more likely to select “I don’t know” when asked if they expect to feel welcome, and more likely to disagree or respond neutrally about being treated fairly by staff and other students. They are also more likely to say they currently feel lonely, always or often. These findings resonate with existing data for care experienced and estranged students and inform the support we offer at the Unite Foundation. The Unite Foundation scholarship provides free, year ‑ round accommodation to care experienced and estranged students, lifting the financial stress this group can experience. It works with universities to build a safe and stable home at university through its Blueprint (allofus.uk) . Unite Foundation also supports the student ‑ led All of Us (unitefoundation.org.uk/blueprint) community, open to all care experienced and estranged students, supporting in ‑ person and online connection and building belonging. Care experienced and estranged applicants (Continued) Back to contents Appendices Thematic analysis Introduction Care experienced and estranged applicants Belonging, equity and inclusion In partnership with