Frequently Asked Questions

  • Our founder, Carly, was a first-generation university student themself. They also have extensive experience providing mentorship to students and helping applicants write personal statements. Carly completed a Master’s in Adult Education and has 7 years of experience teaching at the university level.

    Our mentors have completed university degrees in the UK in a variety of subjects at different levels, including PhD. They receive specific training for My Academic Family’s Mentorship Programme and ongoing support from Carly throughout their volunteering time.

  • We are funded through a variety of opportunities. We offer paid services to traditional university students that helps cover the cost of providing support to our funded students. We have a Patreon, accept donations, and also receive grant funding from funding bodies like Firstport.

  • All profits go back into the organisation. As a non-profit, our goal is to provide as much support for students as possible. We do not have shareholders, so aside from paying staff, there are no other people that profits could be distributed to.

    We are a CIC (Community Interest Company). This is a non-profit business structure in the UK, but is not a charity. It is similar to a charity in that the assets of the company are designated for use to support its stated aim and cannot be transferred into private ownership.

The Mentorship Programme

  • 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 are less focused 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 who is part of the mentorship programme. All our services are provided free of charge for students who qualify.

  • 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 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 advising services to students who do not qualify for our free Mentorship Programme. You can see what the different levels of service are on our Patreon Page: www.patreon.com/myacademicfamily. You can also email directly at carly@myacademicfamily to customise advising services.

  • 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. You can see what the different levels of service are on our Patreon Page:

Application Support

  • Through 1-on-1 meetings (via telephone, video chat, or in person as possible) we will discuss your previous studies and qualifications and your academic goals, and help you make a plan for how to get into the course you are interested in. This includes talking about which courses and universities are a good fit for you, helping you write your personal statement, and identifying and applying to scholarships where needed.

  • We will give you access to information and training materials to help you understand what a personal statement is, what information you need to include, and how to present that information. We will also provide feedback on drafts of your personal statement, but you are expected to write it yourself.

  • While reviewing a personal statement itself may not take more than 30 minutes, we are not often able to get to your personal statement immediately. It can take a few days for us to get to your email, so you need to send it well ahead of your deadline.

  • Application support is for anyone applying to university at any level. Students who meet one of our funded criteria are able to access this support at no cost to them. All other students can access paid support via our online shop.

  • Yes! We are happy to look for scholarships for any student we work with, though we mostly provide this support to students who do not have access to SAAS or Student Finance.

Funded Support

  • We support students who fit in a few categories. 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 also include students who do not have access to or support from parents who might hold degrees due to being in the care system, being disowned for being LGBT+, or being estranged from their parents for various reasons (including being neurodivergent), and students who are displaced, including Refugee and Asylum Seekers and students coming to the UK on other visas but who are considered displaced.

  • Unfortunately, we are currently unable to include students in our funded supports based solely on a physical disability. If you also meet one of our four identified criteria, you are eligible for funded support. Our services are designed to be physically accessible. If there are communication barriers, we will do our best to provide accommodations.

  • Unfortunately, we are currently unable to include students in our funded supports based solely on neurodivergence. If you also meet one of our four identified criteria, we are happy to accommodate your needs when providing support. Supporting neurodivergent students is baked into our protocols and considered when developing all services.