We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define a ‘displaced’ student as anyone who has come to the UK for their safety due to dangerous situations or conditions in their home country. This includes Refugees and Asylum Seekers, but can also include students who come to the UK on other visas (such as a student visa) for safety reasons.
We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define an ‘estranged’ student as anyone who has no contact or support from their family due to a breakdown in the family relationship (this can be for any reason, but may include due to being LGBTQ+ or neurodiverse).
We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define a ‘care-experienced’ student as anyone who has spent any time in the care system, whether in the UK or its equivalent abroad.
While these services are not geared towards traditional international (especially short-study) students, there are some support options we are able to provide for a fee.
Check out our services page for more information.
My Academic Family does provide paid coaching services to students who do not qualify for our free Mentorship Programme.
Check out our services page for more information.
Thank you so much for your interest in supporting our work! If you have a degree from the UK, you can register your interest in serving as a volunteer mentor. If you’re looking for other ways to get involved, you can join us on Patreon or make a one-time donation on our donation page. If you have another idea for something you’d like to do, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to talk to you about it. We can be reached at: carly@myacademicfamily.org.uk.
There is no cost for any student who is part of the Mentorship Programme.
Our focus is on supporting students in navigating university culture and systems; in learning ‘how to university’. We do not focus on providing tutoring or assistance with essay writing, as these kinds of supports are widely available. Our mentors focus on helping students develop the cultural knowledge and skill sets they need to successfully engage in the university experience and complete their degrees.
For both volunteer mentors and students we ask that you commit to 12 months as part of the programme. You are encouraged to stay on if you like, but won’t be pressured to do so in any way.
There is a requirement of meeting at least once per month, though aside from this the student and their mentor are able to set more frequent meetings and determine when and how they will meet. We generally presume that meetings will occur either online or over the phone, as students and their mentors may not live near one another.
We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define a ‘first-generation’ student as anyone studying within the UK who does not have at least one parent with a university degree.
We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define a ‘first-generation’ student as anyone studying within the UK who does not have at least one parent with a university degree.
We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define a ‘care-experienced’ student as anyone who has spent any time in the care system, whether in the UK or its equivalent abroad.
We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define an ‘estranged’ student as anyone who has no contact or support from their family due to a breakdown in the family relationship (this can be for any reason, but may include due to being LGBTQ+ or neurodiverse).
We purposefully use a broad definition in order to assist as many students as possible. We define a ‘displaced’ student as anyone who has come to the UK for their safety due to dangerous situations or conditions in their home country. This includes Refugees and Asylum Seekers, but can also include students who come to the UK on other visas (such as a student visa) for safety reasons.
For both volunteer mentors and students we ask that you commit to 12 months as part of the programme. You are encouraged to stay on if you like, but won’t be pressured to do so in any way.
Our focus is on supporting students in navigating university culture and systems; in learning ‘how to university’. We do not focus on providing tutoring or assistance with essay writing, as these kinds of supports are widely available. Our mentors focus on helping students develop the cultural knowledge and skill sets they need to successfully engage in the university experience and complete their degrees.
There is no cost for any student to be part of the Mentorship Programme.
There is a requirement of meeting at least once per month, though aside from this the student and their mentor are able to set more frequent meetings and determine when and how they will meet. We generally presume that meetings will occur either online or over the phone, as students and their mentors may not live near one another.
My Academic Family does provide paid coaching services to students who do not qualify for our free Mentorship Programme. These services are available on our services page.