Student Carers Project

Developed in collaboration with the University of Warwick’s Gender Engagement GroupLink opens in a new window, this project provides an important evidence base for understanding the scale, characteristics and lived experiences of student carers at Warwick. It emerged in response to concerns about the experiences of postgraduate student carers, a group whose needs are often overlooked in higher education despite the significant impact that caring responsibilities can have on academic participation, wellbeing and career progression.

Research demonstrates that student carers face distinct barriers affecting access, progression, completion and future opportunities. At Warwick, student carers comprise approximately 10% of postgraduate research students and 5% of the wider student population. Yet many institutional practices continue to assume a separation between academic and personal life, leaving caring responsibilities largely invisible within policy and support structures.

These challenges are particularly acute for postgraduate researchers. Childcare costs can amount to nearly as much as the value of a PhD stipend, while many doctoral researchers fall between student and employment support systems, making them ineligible for forms of childcare assistance available to working parents. This 'PhD Parenting Penalty'Link opens in a new windowcreates additional financial, academic and professional disadvantages, particularly for women and those from lower-income backgrounds.

The project works with key stakeholders at the University of Warwick, including Inclusive Education, Student Progression, Widening Participation, and the Doctoral College, to strengthen institutional understanding of student carers at Warwick. This has included work with Student Records to introduce the collection of data on caring responsibilities through student enrolment processes. Building on the findings and recommendations of our July 2026 report, the project now seeks to translate evidence into meaningful institutional change, creating a more inclusive research culture and ensuring that students with caring responsibilities across the University are better supported to thrive academically and progress in their careers.

1. A Welcome Pack for Student Carers, providing clear information on wellbeing and disability services; childcare options and emergency support; academic flexibility and mitigating circumstances; visa considerations for international carers; financial support, including Disability Support Allowance and hardship funds.

2. Carer's Passport: a single annually recognised document that: confirms caring responsibilities; reduces the need for repeated disclosure; ensures consistent recognition across departments; supports advance planning for assessments, attendance, and deadlines.

3. Policy Review: Maternity, Parental, and Carers' Leave: Warwick's maternity and carers' policies require urgent review to: provide clear, accessible leave pathways for postgraduate researchers; ensure international students can take leave without visa risk; recognise school holidays, sickness periods, hospital care as legitimate time-poverty pressures.

4. A childcare bursary or dedicated fund: for example a Completion Fund for PGR carers, subsidised nursery fees or priority access; emergency childcare hours; school‑holiday support pilots.

5. Building a Sustainable Carer Community: invest in a Student Carers Network for peer support and advocacy; an annual carers forum; care-aware training for supervisors, tutors and frontline staff.