Australians who care for people with a disability, illness, or a broader need often embody many of the qualities sought by universities. The purpose of this research project was to establish the first major evidence base for analysing student carers in Australian higher education.

Around 40,000 children are estimated to require out-of-home care in Australia and this number has risen every year over the past decade (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014a). Young people up to 18 years who are unable to live with their birth families are placed in different forms of out-of-home care, including kinship care...