The ethics of love and care in higher education: Perspectives of students with care experience

Abstract Despite decades of widening participation agendas in UK higher education (HE) policy, students with experience of the care system remain substantially under-represented in HE in England and Wales and are more likely to drop-out of university early. Universities in England and Wales now provide a range of mechanisms to support care experienced students, including financial and practical support. However, less emphasis has been placed on the relational dimension of provision, namely social and emotional support. This omission is striking given the importance of caring, reliable and empathetic relationships in care experienced young people’s lives. Drawing on the voices of care experienced (CE) students and graduates, this paper reveals that relationships characterised by love and care were crucial to students’ experiences of university and retention in it. However, these kinds of relationships were seldom found in the formal mechanisms of support at university, but were more often embedded in relationships with friends, partners, foster carers or professionals outside of HE. Implications for HE policy and practice are discussed, including how a relational dimension of HE may support the engagement and retention of some of the most vulnerable students in HE in the UK and internationally.