FAQs

What do I need to do to take the pledge?

There are some simple steps to taking the pledge. The first is to identify what you are already doing for estranged students. The second is to identify which areas of support for estranged students you are aiming to develop. The third is to find the approval of your VC, ProVC or principal who will write a public letter of commitment, showing that your institution is behind your plans.

Do you need to have support in place in all four areas already before you can pledge?

No. The point of the pledge is to help you to develop support in areas you might not have thought about before.

You don't have to have support in place in all four areas before your submit your letter of commitment. The aim of the Pledge is to serve as a tool to develop the support estranged students can access across the institution.

How many students are at your institution?

You can find out by clicking on the interactive map on our homepage. This will show you a list of numbers of estranged students in your institution and of those in your region.

Who can write the pledge letter?

The letter needs to come from your VC, ProVC or Principal.

It's common practice for engaged individuals within an institution to champion the taking of the pledge, but the letter needs to be signed by your VC, Pro VC or Principal.

You can submit the letter on the 'Submit Your Pledge' page or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

How much does it cost?

There is no charge to take the pledge. However there is a cost associated with attending our professional development conferences should you wish to learn more about our research and supporting estranged students.

How is the pledge monitored?

We will ask you for an annual update on your progress via an online form. 

What kind of support can Stand Alone provide to institutions?

We can help you to identify key areas of development via our best practice training conferences, or occasionally we can help individually in a phone call or meeting.

We can help you to shout about and promote your best practice and inspire others to follow in your footsteps. 

What kind of support can Stand Alone provide to students?

We can provide information and advice to students around applying to Student Finance and we can sign-post to the help and support that is available in various institutions. It's with regret that we can't support students financially, give loans, or be a guarantor for accommodation.