Support, wellbeing and health

Open Door Team is a team of mental health professionals providing support to students who are experiencing psychological or mental health difficulties.

A completely free self-referral service available to all our students, Open Door can work in tandem with the NHS, your GP or other services if you're receiving therapeutic or medical help for a long-term condition.

All University of York students have access to free online mental health and wellbeing support with Togetherall. If you struggle to sleep, feel low, stressed or unable to cope, Togetherall can help you get support, take control and feel better.

You will have access to a 24/7 online global community and support from trained professionals. Togetherall provides a safe space online to get things off your chest, explore your feelings, get creative and learn how to self-manage your mental health and wellbeing.

On Togetherall, you are totally anonymous to other members in the community, and your personal information is kept secure while you are on the site

Funded by Mentally Fit York.

Knowing you have your finances under control before you get here means you can relax and enjoy your studies.

Tuition fees and funding:

• Undergraduate fees and funding
• Postgraduate fees and funding

Living costs:

• Undergraduate living costs
• Postgraduate living costs

To earn extra cash and learn valuable skills you could consider working while studying such as taking a part-time job or an internship. If you find yourself in financial difficulty during your studies, advisers at the Student Hub can provide advice and support. You may also be able to apply for a scholarship or bursary.

From the moment you arrive at York, you'll be encouraged to prepare for your future career through a range of opportunities that will expand your study. Take advantage of our links with employers and alumni, learn a new language, study abroad, or grow your idea for a fledgling business.

We provide a range of services and resources to help you develop the skills you need for academic success. From one-to-one sessions with our tutors at the Writing and Language Skills Centre, to help understanding maths and statistics at the Maths Skills Centre.

There's also the opportunity to learn a new language, improve your digital skills and learn how to follow good academic practice.

Our two Christian chaplains are available to people of all faiths and none. Alongside our chaplaincy we have a range of contacts from other world faiths. You can also access a number of dedicated spaces for prayer and reflection on campus.

There are also a number of student societies dedicated to celebrating and exploring world faiths, such as the Jewish Society, the Christian Union and the Islamic Society, just to name a few. All students are welcome to join from devout believer to just curious. There is also a student-led Meditation Society.

International students can access dedicated support services. You can also get to know other international students through the student-run International Students’ Association. (facebook.com)

Cultural student societies such as the African Caribbean Society, Chinese Society, Polish Society, and Saudi Students Society are another great way to meet other people from your country. These groups are open to all students no matter where you're from. You can learn about different cultures and traditions, receive informal language training and try out different world cuisines!

We're committed to providing the best possible support for students with a disability or Specific Learning Difficulty. Our experienced specialist disability practitioners can offer advice and guidance for students with a range of disabilities.

We can also provide study skills support, advice on reasonable adjustments to teaching, assessments, and exams and referral to other support services within the University.

You might find the information provided by the Disabled Students’ Commission helpful when considering applying for your course.

You may have different support needs if you’re a mature student (over 21 when you start your course). We provide an induction day and a special lunch during Welcome Week where you can meet other mature students.

Settling in

Adapting to university life can be challenging for any student, perhaps more so if you've been out of education for a few years, or if you have to juggle studying alongside other commitments. Our support network is here for you should you need it, whether you want to talk about study matters or any personal difficulties you may be having.

You can also join the University's Mature Students Chat Group.

Read our guide for mature students

Juggling university with parenting responsibilities can be challenging but we are here to support you during this time. In October 2019 there were over 800 students with children studying at the University, including 387 students enrolled on full time courses, so you are certainly not alone.

Family Network

Our Family Network helps students with children and their spouses to meet, socialise, share information and advice, and have fun. You can join other university families for events and trips and come along to our weekly under fives session.

Contact the Family Network on Facebook

Childcare

The Ofsted registered York Campus Nursery and pre-school provides places for 30 children per session aged two to five years and nine children in the baby unit. As the on-campus nursery is small, most students opt for other childcare options:

• Childcare in York (yor-ok.org.uk)
• Help paying for childcare (gov.uk)

Schools

Where your child can go to school is based on where you live. So you could research schools first and then accommodation, or the other way around.

• Information about schools in York (york.gov.uk)

You could also ask the Family Network (facebook.com) for advice on local schools.

Accommodation

We have properties on and off campus to house families and we work with the York Housing Association (YHA) to provide even more family accommodation. We prioritise certain students according to our allocation policy, so you should also look into private sector accommodation.

• University accommodation for families
• Private-rented accommodation

Funding and financial support

You're eligible for the same funding options as any prospective student:

• Undergraduate fees and funding
• Postgraduate fees and funding

You may also be eligible for:

• Child Tax Credit (gov.uk)
• Claim Child Benefit (gov.uk)
• Adult Dependants' Grant (gov.uk)

International students

Frequently Asked Questions (yorkgsa.org) before, or shortly after, you arrive in York.

Student Buddy

Our student buddying scheme will pair you up with a current student, who can share their own experiences of juggling family and university life.

• Sign up for a student buddy  

You'll have access to a dedicated contact both before you get here and during your studies at York. Our dedicated contact can:

• Help with any questions you may have about our courses and what it's like to study at York
• Act as a link between you and your local authority
• Facilitate a visit to the University for you including covering the cost of your travel to the University
• Offer emotional and practical support throughout your studies and direct you to other appropriate University services.

Dedicated contact for care Leavers and estranged students 
Fran Hornsby
student-independent@york.ac.uk 
+44 (0)1904 324334

Applying to York

You will need to follow the same application process as any prospective student. However, we can provide additional support if you wish. You may be interested in submitting an application to the York Access Scheme which aims to improve access to the University for applicants who have faced challenging circumstances.

If you have any questions about the application process our Admissions team will be happy to help.

• How to apply
• York Access Scheme

Accommodation

We have flexible let lengths and can defer your advanced payment.

• Care leavers and estranged students accommodation on campus

We can also pay for storage of your belongings during the summer break or if you decide to do a study abroad year.

Funding and financial support

Care leavers

In addition to the usual funding options for students, you may also be entitled to specific bursaries:

• Care Leaver and Estranged students Bursary
• York Bursary
• Tuition fees and funding

You can find out more about applying to student finance through the StandAlone student finance guide.

Study support

We offer specialist workshops to improve your writing, maths, communication and IT skills.

Useful links

Care leavers

• Support for care leavers
• Propel (propel.org) useful information about moving into higher education from care
• National Network for Care Leavers (nnecl.org)

Estranged students

• Support for estranged students
• Stand Alone (standalone.org.uk)
• Turn2us Grant Search (turn2us.org)
• Student Finance England Independent Students Fact Sheet (practitioners.slc.co.uk)

Juggling caring responsibilities with studying can be challenging. If you need someone to talk to there is support on offer at York. We also have close links with York Carers Centre.

Applying to York

You will need to follow the same application process as any prospective student. However, we can provide additional support if you wish. You may be interested in submitting an application to the York Access Scheme which aims to improve access to the University for applicants who have faced challenging circumstances.

If you have any questions about the application process our Admissions team will be happy to help.

• How to apply
• York Access Scheme

Funding and benefits

You're eligible for the same funding options as any prospective student.

You're unlikely to be eligible for the carers allowance (as you'll probably be studying more than 21 hours per week). However, the person who you're caring for is likely to be eligible for benefits. So it's a good idea to ensure they're claiming what they're entitled to. Find out more about carers and disability benefits (gov.uk).

Some students decide that they prefer to not move into university accommodation for part or all of their studies at York, and therefore travel to university from their home location. These students are called local and commuting students. There are many reasons why you may choose to live at home while you are studying. These can include:

• Already living locally to the University of York, so there is no need to spend money on university accommodation.
• Preferring to live close to friends and family back home.
• Having a disability or wellbeing needs that are best catered for at home.
• Having a part-time job where you currently live, or financial constraints that would make it difficult to move into university accommodation.
• Caring for a family member alongside your studies.
• Being a parent or having dependents at home.
• Having cultural or religious commitments that underpin your decision to commute.

Whatever your reasons for commuting, the University of York will support you in making your time in higher education as enriching and enjoyable as possible.

Support for local and commuting students

Local and commuting students can contact Nicola Browne with any questions you may have about our courses and what it's like to study at York.

Nicola will be in touch to tell you about the events and support available to help you make the most of your time at the University of York, as well as offering emotional and practical support throughout your studies and direct you to other appropriate University services.

• Contact nicola.browne@york.ac.uk
• Our Student Buddy Scheme matches you with a current student at York who will be able to share their university experiences with you, and be on hand (either in person or over email) with friendly advice and support.
• Events such as the Step Ahead induction and coffee drop-ins can help with your transition to the university.
• Join the University of York local and commuting students Facebook chat

Find out more

If you need help or support relating to your course or personal matters, you can seek independent and confidential advice, and information from our Students' Union (YUSU) Advice and Support Centre.

The health centre closest to campus, Unity Health, offers GP appointments, a repeat prescription service and walk-in clinics. You can register online or in person.

If you take any medication, have a long term health condition or disability you should contact them before you arrive, so they can help you make a smooth transition. 

Nightline (yorknightline.org.uk) is run by trained student volunteers and provides a confidential listening and information service for students from 8pm to 8am.

York Mind is a local provider of services supporting people who are recovering from mental ill-health.