Fair access and widening participation for university

Universities are committed to ensuring that university study is accessible for everyone. Fair access to higher education is vital in improving life opportunities for you and those around you.

To do this, universities have a range of widening participation activities that you can access throughout your journey to higher education. These activities are designed to make the application process as fair as possible. They will provide you with the information and support that you need before, during, and after your studies.

Universities recognise that applying to university is not a straightforward process. The process may look different for different people. You may face additional challenges in accessing higher education depending on your financial, personal, or ethnic background.

To assist with this, universities have dedicated staff to support students who require additional support. While the support varies from university to university, there are a range of opportunities available to you, including:

• taster lectures and workshops with academics (virtually or in-person)
• mentoring programmes with current university students
• university and national scholar programmes
• on-campus residentials during school holidays
• online webinars designed to support your application
• specific advice and guidance about contextual offers.

Once you’ve received your offers from your chosen universities, they’ll normally contact you to offer support and additional guidance to assist you with making your final choices.

As part of this, you’ll likely be invited to an offer-holder day. This will allow you to look around the campus, meet current students, and attend taster lectures for your chosen subject. Other support may be offered if you meet specific widening participation criteria, including:

• Funding to assist with attending your offer-holder day
• Additional information about support services
• Points of contact to help with the decision-making process.

Universities recognise that you may need additional support when you first arrive. It can be a lot to take in all at once. This is why some offer tailored induction sessions for eligible students either online or in person prior to the start of term.

There will also be lots of opportunities to meet new people, and receive additional support to help you settle in during Welcome Week. The fair access and widening participation initiatives will vary between universities, but these programmes may include:

• settling in sessions
• workshops to help with additional support areas like managing your money
• information resources to help with your studies
• careers and study skills support
• mental health and wellbeing support
• help with settling in to your accommodation
• signposting to additional financial support.

You can visit specific university websites, or contact their admissions teams, to find out more about the activities they offer as part of their widening participation and fair access programmes.