Understanding access schemes

If a young person decides to go into higher education (HE), they could be eligible for a range of schemes and programmes that would support their applications to a higher education institution and provide additional benefits upon arrival on a degree course. These are known as higher education access schemes or programmes. 

Higher education access programmes are schemes and activities that are aimed at talented students from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented at higher education, and look to give students a taste of the university experience and help them take their first steps towards higher education.

Access schemes are usually for students in Year 12 or Year 13 who are currently applying, or are close to applying to university. Each access scheme will have its own eligibility criteria that you will be able to find on the HEI’s webpages, but they are usually based on things such as:

• Home postcode (living in an area with low progression rates to university)
• Entitlement to school or college bursaries and support with school meals
• Experience of local authority care
• Academic potential (usually based on GCSE grades)

What are the benefits of doing an access scheme?

Scheme benefits vary, and are often dependent on whether or not the attending pupils undertook additional academic assignments, work experience or tests as part of the scheme.

• A reduced offer in the A-Level grades required to study at the HEI who run the scheme
• Advice and guidance on applying to HEIs, and increased confidence to apply
• Opportunities to complete work experience, that may help students decide on a programme of study or career, and will help strengthen their application to HEIs
• The chance to become familiar with HEI study methods and campuses so they can get a feel for student life
• Opportunities to complete work experience, that may help them decide on a programme of study or career, and will help strengthen their application
• The chance to become familiar with HEI study methods and campuses so they can get a feel for student life

What schemes are available at The University of Manchester?

As your local university, it is possible will  your pupils will want to choose to apply for an Access Programme at our university. To see the list of schemes, eligibility criteria and what they entail, have look at our ‘Access Manchester’ webpages and watch this Access Manchester video:

We will remind them about these programmes at Year 10 and Year 11 event too, but it would be great if you could support this effort by getting them looking into these schemes as early as possible.

PLEASE NOTE: A University Access Programme is NOT an Access to Higher Education course! An Access to HE diploma is a formal qualification which prepares people without traditional qualifications for student at university. They are delivered by colleges in England and Wales.

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