Martin Whitfield MSP is backing the Fostering Network’s 2025 #TickTheBox campaign which officially begins today.

The UK-wide #TickTheBox campaign encourages people with care experience to ‘tick the box’ on their UCAS application to say they have spent time in care, so they can get the support they may need, to help them enter and thrive at college or university.

From 2008 to 2022, the number of people ticking the box more than doubled, but there is still a long way to go. In Scotland, the latest data shows that less than three quarters (72.4%) of looked after pupils were in a positive destination – including in higher or further education, work, volunteering or training – 9 months after leaving school, compared with 93.1% of all school leavers.

For those who do enter higher or further education, many are unknown to their universities or colleges, missing out on the support they are entitled to – like financial assistance, year-round accommodation and help with their health and wellbeing.

The aims of the #TickTheBox campaign are:

• To help raise aspirations for those with care experience who may be considering higher or further education, by sharing the amazing stories of people with care experience and their journeys at university or college and how ticking the box helped them thrive.
• To celebrate good practice from higher and further education institutions and encourage all to provide excellent support to people with care experience so they can enter and thrive at university or college.
• To bust common myths and reassure those with concerns about who their information will be shared with when they tick the box, highlighting that the information will only be shared with the people who need to know to support them.

Martin Whitfield MSP said: 

“The #TickTheBox campaign is vital to helping raise the aspirations of those with care experience by helping them enter and thrive at university or college.

“I’m pleased to help promote it again and thank the Fostering Network for the work it conducts on the campaign and raising awareness of the issues.”