Student carers in distance higher education: study strategies and support needs

Whilst research about student carers is limited, what exists suggests that participation in higher education can be extremely challenging. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences, study strategies and support needs of 40 open and distance learning students with caring responsibilities in terms of three dimensions of Tinto’s Longitudinal Model of Student Integration – goals and institutional commitment, academic integration and social integration. Student carers were motivated by a desire to transcend their caring role. In relation to academic integration, participants presented as dedicated students struggling to fit study around care and consequently studied strategically. Participants typically eschewed all but the most essential academically focused dimensions of social integration. The participants’ reluctance to not disclose carer status or only do so informally, limited the institutional capacity to proactively offer support and build a better understanding of this group. Suggestions to better support student carers’ commitment to study goals as well as academic and social integration are proposed.