Higher education institutions are eager to
support fair access and widening participation
initiatives to ensure our learning communities
are inclusive, safe and welcoming spaces for all
students, no matter their background.
With that in mind, many institutions will
support key groups of students, which will
usually include students who are the most
underrepresented at their institutions, or
students who are generally underrepresented
within higher education institutions in the UK.
This means students who are statistically less likely to progress to higher education are the key target audience for widening access programmes. Often institutions will break this down using eligibility criteria. Many of the criteria points focus on students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, or underrepresented communities.
The most common thread is that you usually
need to have attended a state school or college
for your secondary and post-16 education.
Aside from this, students eligible for support
may include:
• First-generation students (students who
are the first generation in their immediate
family to attend higher education)
• Care experienced and estranged students
(students who have spent time in local
authority care or are estranged from their
family)
• Young carers (students who have caring
responsibilities)
• Ethnic minority students (for example
Black, Asian, Arab, or mixed-race
backgrounds)
• Mature students (students aged 21 or
above at the start of their undergraduate
studies)
• Refugee and asylum seekers
• Students from Gypsy, Roma or Traveller
communities
• Students with a disability or long-term
health condition (including mental health
conditions)
• Students from military or service families
• Students living in areas with a low
progression rate (you can check your postcode online)
• Students with a household income below
£42,875
• Students eligible for free school meals,
pupil premium or other discretionary
payments
• Students who attended a school or college
that achieved below the national average
(based on Government statistics).
It is worth noting that different institutions will
likely have different eligibility criteria and even
some programmes at the same institution
may focus on different groups of students.
For example, at the University of York we have Black Access
, which is a programme designed
by our current Black students to support fellow
Black students, but we also have post-16
programmes such as Next Step York, accepting
students from most of the above criteria as
indicated in the bullet points.
This can vary between institutions, but may
include:
• Reduced offer schemes (where students
can receive an offer lower than the
standard entry requirements - for example,
AAA could become AAB or even ABB)
• Access to scholarships or bursaries
(money provided by the institution
to support students with study or
accommodation costs, which does not
need to be repaid)
• Mentoring (often with current students at
the institution)
• The opportunity to attend tailored events
and activities with the institution (such as
campus tours, residential events, or online
skills sessions)
• Ongoing support (regular contact relating
to key milestones, for example making
post-18 decisions, completing personal
statements, applying for student finance,
and much more).
Look at institutions’ websites to check
their eligibility criteria.
Develop your understanding of widening
participation programmes by researching
institutions. It can be helpful to receive
updates from institutions directly, or
through general communications, such as
UniTasterDays.