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For some, university can be a time in their lives when estrangement can take place.

There are several reasons why estrangement could happen, it could be caused by a life-altering event taking place or it could have been due to ongoing family difficulties which finally lead to estrangement. It is a complicated process, and it is not an easy decision to make to cut ties with your family, sometimes it might not even be your choice. Everyone’s estrangement is different and there is no set way in how to deal with it.

Estrangement is not something which is easy to deal with and is often accompanied by problems and concerns, for example it could impact your finances or wellbeing.

If you would like to read more about why and how other people became estranged, you can do on the .  

Below you can find out more about how estrangement can impact on your Student Finance and housing and how the University can support you if you are estranged.

This info is relevant for UK undergraduate students funded by SFW/SFE/SFNI.

Student Finance consider that you are estranged if you don’t have support from your parents (biological, step or adoptive) due to an irreconcilable breakdown in your relationship.

Depending upon whether the estrangement has been disclosed and whether sufficient evidence has been provided, you may be classed as “estranged” by Student Finance and be assessed for maintenance support as an independent student i.e. based upon your own income rather than your parents’.

Student Finance generally consider that you are estranged if you’ve had no verbal or written contact with your parents for at least 12 months and that this is unlikely to change. However, if you don’t meet this definition, Student Finance can still conclude that you are estranged for other reasons.

You may inform Student Finance that you are estranged during your initial application or later in the year. You will be asked to complete a form explaining the reason for the estrangement and providing third party evidence.

Please make an appointment with the Student Advice and Support Service for more advice about estrangement and assistance to complete the form if necessary.

When you have been assessed as estranged, your student finance will be assessed on your own income rather than your parents’. For most students this results in an award of the maximum maintenance loan.

If you already receive the maximum rate of maintenance loan during the year you become estranged, estranged status will not increase your loan rate.

Generally, Student Finance regulations do not allow a change to the individual being household income assessed in an academic year. If your parent(s) have supported your finance application during the academic year your estrangement occurs, estrangement status may not change your funding assessment. In this scenario, it’s likely you will be treated as an independent student from the next academic year you apply. 

If you are treated as an independent student by Student Finance, you will be more likely to receive the maximum funding including the 海角网 Bursary. This will depend on Student Finance’s financial assessment of your income.

You may also be eligible for financial support from the university’s Student Experience APP Fund, designed to enhance a student’s experience during their time studying.

Financial assistance may be granted from the Hardship Fund Summer Scheme if students are living independently over the summer, due to being estranged from their family. It is expected that students will attempt to find paid work or other means of supporting themselves over the summer but should explain in their application if they have reasonable grounds for not doing so.

The University has partnered with Housing Hand to support students requiring a UK guarantor. For estranged students, Housing Hand offers a for eligible individuals; using this route means you will not be asked to provide a co-signer as part of your application. You can find more information by following the link to the Student Accommodation Centre’s webpages.

Estranged students are prioritised by the Student Accommodation Centre for on-campus Summer accommodation.

If you are estranged from your family, looking after yourself can feel especially challenging. Every person's experience of estrangement is unique, and there is no single "right" way to cope. What helps one person may not be helpful for someone else.

You can access a range of support services through the University. Further information about the support available is provided below.

If someone you know has been estranged from their family, there are a few things you can do to support them if you feel able to.  

• Ask them if there is anything you can do to help when during this situation. You can also offer them to listen if they would like to talk about it. Some might want to discuss it with you while others may not want to. If they do want to talk to you then please remember that it is more important to listen than to give them advice.  
• Help them get help if they should need it. This could be by encouraging them to contact the Mental Wellbeing team, the Student Advice and Support team or their personal tutor.  
• Signpost them to the out-of-term activities taking place. The International Students Experience Team run a range of activities outside of term time for students who remain in 海角网 during the holiday periods. Details of these activities can be found on the Student services events page

For more information about how you can help someone who is estranged, you can have a look at the .

It might feel like you need to go through the estrangement by yourself, but that is not true. There are several ways in which you can get help in different ways and for different reasons.

If you feel like your situation has impacted your mental wellbeing, you can contact the Mental Wellbeing team using the .

If you think the estrangement has impacted your studies, you should start off by contacting your academic tutor and get their advice.  

If you would like financial guidance and support, you can contact the Student Advice and Support Service team using their . Alternatively, you can contact StandAlone, who aim to help estranged people, they offer advice and support for students, run support groups and much more, for more information about StandAlone, have a look at their .

Last updated: 28th July 2026