Care leavers across the UK will no longer be required to pay application fees for university or college, Ucas has confirmed. It is a significant step aimed at bridging the persistent gap in higher education access for this demographic.

In an interview Press Association, Ucas chief executive Dr Jo Saxton said “The reason we’re doing this is because care leavers are the group in society least likely to go to university. – We can play a small part in trying to do something about this, so that’s why we are removing this barrier.”

In 2023/24, 13% of care leavers in England pursued higher education by age 19, compared to 46% of other pupils. The application fee waiver applies to care leavers up to age 25 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Ucas hopes that care leavers will feel comfortable to inform them they have been in care when they apply, so that they can point them in the direction of any extra support available at the universities they are looking at.