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Chapter 4 - The Roles of Parents and Carers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2024

Jane Morris
Jane Morris
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
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Summary

Families continue to provide immense financial and psychosocial support to their student age children. ‘Estranged students’ and those who are themselves carers suffer financial, academic and social obstacles to a successful university experience. Parents now expect greater participation in the lives of their student children, as financial realities empower them to influence their children’s choices. From age 18 students are deemed ‘adults’, but without adult rights to an independent student loan, or legal compulsion on their parents to provide finance. Parents have little feedback or power over the resource they are asked to finance. Communication between universities and parents has attracted controversy. Universities are experimenting with ways to clarify how nominated carers can be consulted about students at risk. Families may become the unsupported carers when a student has left university in an unplanned way, as well as when the course comes to an end. The chapter considers the value of developing a ‘leavers’ programme’, analogous to freshers weeks, as well as a specific package of supports for students who leave in an unplanned way.

Keywords

Student mental healthparents and carersin loco parentisduty of careconfidentialityestranged studentsUniversity mental health transition to university ;mental health disclosurestudent suicide university counselling
Type
Chapter
Information
Improving University Mental Health , pp. 33 - 53
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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