Student Support
Student Support
Within our Student Support Team, we have a range of highly experienced staff who can provide you with support and guidance on a range of issues.
Click on the teams below to find out more about how they can help.
Support for Care Experienced People
Here at Forth Valley College, the term ‘care experienced’ refers to anyone who has been in care. This care may have been provided in many different settings, such as:
- Formal kinship care – living with a relative who is not your mum or dad with social services involvement.
- Informal kinship care (not eligible for Care Experience Bursary) – living with a relative who is not your mum or dad without social services involvement.
- Looked after at home – with the help of social work.
- Residential care – living in a residential unit or school.
- Foster care – living with foster carers.
- Secure care – living in a secure unit.
- Adoption
Forth Valley College wants all Care Experienced students to be successful during their time studying here. We want everyone to gain a place on an appropriate course, learn new skills, gain qualifications and progress into a positive destination whether that be further education, higher education, training or employment.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to indicate they have been in care via their college online application. This information will allow the Student Support team to get in contact to offer support. The support on offer is wide and varied and depends on each individual student and what is right for them. Support can include:
- Pre-application help
- Care Experienced Student Bursary (eligibility criteria apply)
- Dedicated Support and Guidance Advisor – before your course starts, one of our Support and Guidance Advisors will be in touch. They will be your named contact throughout your time at college regardless of whether you access the service regularly or not
- Additional financial advice and support
- Priority processing for funding
- Guaranteed interview if entry requirements met
If you would like to find out more about our commitment to support care experienced students, you can access our Corporate Parenting Plan here.
Time4Me
For students aged 15 to 26, the Time4Me mentoring programme is available to support a small number of students per year. Mentors help the mentees with goal setting, problem solving, resilience and communication. The young people taking part will gain confidence and develop skills which will help them with their studies, career and life goals.
Places are limited so if you think having a Mentor could help you settle into life at Forth Valley College, please speak to your teacher, Learning Support Advisor or a staff member from the Carers Service in the first instance.
If you require further information, please contact the team at time4me@forthvalley.ac.uk