The HEART team are super friendly and can offer great advice and guidance about pretty much anything you are going through, but you may feel more comfortable seeking support from someone in a similar position to you.

UCW Peer Mentors are second and third-year students who act as positive role models for new students, or for those who just need a little more help to settle in to higher education. They are trained to be able to point their mentees towards formal support but can also just be another person to chat with on a regular basis.

Please contact HEART if you would like to access Peer Mentor support.

Sometimes circumstances that are out of your control will prevent you from being able to complete an assignment or sit an exam. In these instances you can apply for deadline extensions due to mitigating / extenuating circumstances.

Please contact HEART as early as you can for guidance on these matters as they know the procedures that you will have to follow with your partner university.

Students at UCW are assigned a Personal Tutor with whom they have at least three individual progress review sessions throughout the year. As a UCW student, you will also be expected to attend regular group seminars so you know about everything going on in your programme. Personal Tutors are also available on an informal basis, and can provide references and help you make informed decisions about your career or future studies.

We are committed to providing additional support to care leavers, young carers and people who are estranged from their parents.

If this applies to you, our Welfare & Wellbeing Lead Jess Darby and Student Finance & Support Officer Becky Bates-Durbin are the best people to get in touch with. They are both lovely, and can help and advise on a range of matters, including applications, year-round accommodation, mental health and wellbeing and learning support.

You may also be eligible for additional financial support from a number of sources, including your Local Authority and partner university, depending on your circumstances, and Abby or Becky Bates-Durbin can help you find out more about your options.

As a part of the Weston College Group, UCW has been awarded the Buttle UK Quality Mark for our support for carers and care leavers in higher education.

We are also recognised by PROPEL, which is a higher education-specific website developed by BECOME, the charity for children in care and young care leavers.

Full-time students who live by themselves or with other full-time students are exempt from paying council tax. If you are living with non-students, your household may still be eligible for a discount of up to 25%. If you are progressing from a Foundation Degree to an Honours Top-up, you will have to pay council tax for the period between one course finishing and the new one starting.

Please click here to find out more.

Council tax exemption certificates can be collected from HEART.

Please email the HEART inbox at heart@ucw.co.uk to request a certificate.

Transport

As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we are encouraging positive changes in the way we all travel to UCW campuses every day. Promoting more ecological travel options will help to reduce environmental impacts and will benefit our staff, students and local communities.

Cycling

If you choose to cycle to UCW you’ll be able to secure your bike using the cycle racks available across all our campuses. Our sites are easily accessible by road and you can visit the ‘Better By Bike’ website for useful information about cycling in the West and a Cycle Planner for preparing your route.

Homepage - Better By Bike

Buses

To help our full-time students get to UCW, we offer discounted bus travel through a bus-pass scheme. The pass can be used on any regional First Bus routes throughout the week during term-time.  You can also use your bus-pass to travel to and from work experience placements.

Most of our students travel easily to UCW on First Buses from across the region, using services dedicated to us or on timetabled routes.  There are frequent buses from within the Weston area, as well as direct buses from Bath, Bristol, Clevedon, Nailsea, Portishead, Burnham-on-Sea, Wells, Bridgwater and the surrounding areas.

Bus passes can be purchased through the online store.
https://store.weston.ac.uk/product-catalogue/student-services/bus-passes

Trains

Weston is on the main train line from Bristol to Exeter, with Bath just a short train journey from Bristol. It takes around 15 minutes to walk to the Knightstone or Winter Gardens Campus from the main Weston railway station.  Our Loxton Campus is around 15 minutes by bus from the train station and the South West Skills Campus is a short walk from the Weston Milton railway station.

Driving

We don’t recommend driving to UCW to attend lectures unless you live far from any public transport options. After parking, tax, petrol and insurance, you won’t have much maintenance loan left!

Our campuses are easily reachable via public transport, but if driving is still your best option, all campuses are just a short drive from junction 21 of the M5.

If you are driving remember that lift sharing is one of the best ways for you to reduce your carbon footprint.  It is sociable, will save money and can help reduce some stress in your morning routine.

University Centre Weston is committed to providing an inclusive environment that includes supporting those with emotional support dogs. We understand that emotional support dogs have an important role and make every effort to accommodate both the owner, and their dog.

UCW has an expectation that the owners will ensure the following regarding their support dogs;

• That they are always kept on a lead when on campus facilities
• That they have all their needs met in respect of toileting, feeding, watering, grooming and health.
• The owner is responsible for providing regular flea treatments and Keeping up to date with all annual vet check-ups and injections.
• They are kept on a lead and cause no disruption.
• That the owner handles their dog safely, with care and compassion.
• The owner is responsible for picking up and disposing of all faeces in external bins.
• The owner is responsible for ensuring that they have access to water and comfort breaks for sessions longer than 2 hours.

To ensure only registered assistance animals are on campus we ask that anyone wishing to bring an assistance animal on campus is asked to provide evidence which you must email to the HEART team on the following: HEART@ucw.ac.uk