Every day another 6,000 people in the UK take on caring commitments. That’s over 2 million people a year, which means at least three out of five of us are likely to become a carer at some point in our lives. The chances are that you may already be caring for someone yourself or know another person close to you who is either receiving or giving care.
What you may not realise, is that a great many carers of all ages give so much of themselves and find their everyday lives disrupted that they often end up exhausted. They just don’t have the time or money to study for higher education, but by supporting The Open University's Carers Scholarships you can help to give them the opportunity to study for a better future.
Our solution
Carers Scholarships have been specially created to offer carers a chance to study, develop their sense of identity outside of caring and retrain towards seeking new employment. With your help since 2020/21 we provided 142 Open University scholarships to carers in the UK.
As young adult carers are twice as likely to not be in education in the UK, and we ring-fence scholarships each year to those in the 16-25 age group. In addition to offering free education with the OU, support services are available to all recipients, which includes access to staff who are trained to help this community, and access to the careers service.
How your support can make a difference
The life of an unpaid carer is extremely challenging, with more than one in five carers living in poverty and six in every ten carers using their savings to cover caring costs. Together, we can come together to support those individuals who give so much to look after their loved ones.
By supporting Carers Scholarships you can give carers who have made huge sacrifices on behalf of others, the chance to access educational opportunities. Your gift today can help ensure more carers get the chance they deserve to build their future.
“Being the main carer for my father-in-law meant that going to university was out of the question. Then I heard about the OU…” Hina Asif Alan, OU graduate, BSc Hons
“I couldn’t attend a traditional university, as there was nobody else to look after my children and the higher fees would have made it financially challenging. [My daughter] Michelle was completely dependent on me for everything; but with the OU I was able to study at home and flexibly, so that I was always there for Michelle. When you’re a carer for somebody your world becomes consumed by their every want and need – being there for them is the only option. I wouldn’t ever change this, but the OU gave me another world to escape to, a world where I could concentrate on myself for a few hours. My studies gave me a respite from my caring responsibilities and a new spark and enthusiasm that filtered through into everything else I did.” Karen, OU graduate, BA Hons
The Carers' Scholarship wouldn’t be possible without the support of our generous donors. The scheme is kindly supported by:
CareTech FoundationHallmark Foundation
Mrs Judith Purssell BA (Hons)
Mrs Lara Cournoyer BSc (Hons)
The Batchworth Trust
The Bronwen and Brian Mills Charitable Trust
The Irving Memorial Trust
And over 6,000 alumni, friends and OU supporters.
The Carers' Scholarship is an OU initiative that Carers Trust and Carers UK support by promoting it to their national networks of local carers’ organisations and offering scholarship recipients broader carers support.
The Open University has numerous support programs addressing a wide variety of limitations or disadvantages that prospective students might face. For example, we offer financial support for carers, care experienced learners, Black students and disabled veterans and those who are seeking sanctuary in the UK. We also offer the study-related costs fund, which is open to anyone on a low income. Information on all our scholarships and assistance schemes can be found here: http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding
If you would like to set up a regular donation by direct debit, please call 01908 655 044 or email giving@open.ac.uk requesting a call.