Stand Alone Pledge

The University has recently added its name to the Stand Alone Pledge to recognise and support students who are studying without the support of a family network and/or have no communicative relationship with their parents.  It joins 57 other universities and colleges – including Oxford and Cambridge – who responded to the call from Stand Alone to take the pledge to work towards creating the right environment and conditions for estranged students to complete their course by improving support mechanisms in our four key areas. Despite throwing themselves wholeheartedly into studying, many estranged students lack material and emotional support and/or approval from their family and these students drop out of HE at a rate that is three times higher than the average student.  As a result, Huddersfield has made a formal commitment to recognise the challenges and barriers that estranged students face and give them the support that they need in order to fulfil their potential in higher education.  Huddersfield has formally confirmed arrangements in finance and on-course support, accommodation, mental health and wellbeing, and outreach and transition.  It has also agreed to work towards making specific funds available and raising awareness with estranged students themselves and those who work with them.

Stand Alone is a registered charity that aims to support people who are estranged from their family or children. Their primary objective is to break down the stigma around estrangement and support estranged people in their daily lives.