This research project was led by La Trobe University’s Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research (CHEEDR). Funding was provided by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) at Curtin University. The project was undertaken in collaboration with Carers Victoria.

The purpose of the project was to establish the first major evidential base for analysing student carers in Australian higher education. In developing this national evidential base, we sought to increase the visibility of student carers and to provide firm foundations for future policy and research work. Specifically, we addressed three research questions:

1. What barriers do student carers face in accessing and transitioning to higher education?
2. What are the experiences, challenges, and strengths of student carers enrolled in higher education?
3. How can universities better support student carers to access, and succeed in, higher education?