Schools, colleges and community
AccessLeicester
“AccessLeicester was an amazing experience. It has made me confident as I interacted with different people and allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. One memorable opportunity was doing public speaking at an event. Access Leicester was a valuable experience and all the ambassadors and AccessLeicester team were really supportive and helpful.”
AccessLeicester student, 2025 cohort
If you are:
- In Year 12
- Thinking about studying at University of Leicester
- Live within a 90-minute commute to the University of Leicester (driving or public transport)
You could be a part of the AccessLeicester programme at the University of Leicester.
Through this sixth-month programme you will have the opportunity to:
- Meet like-minded people.
- Develop your skills and knowledge to support your application to higher education.
- Gain an understanding of what it is like to study at the University of Leicester, with an insight from current students.
In recognition for completing the programme, you will receive an offer up to two grades below the standard offer for that course (to a minimum of BCC for those studying three A-levels; only one grade reduction for Medicine)*, a guaranteed interview for those applying to Medicine (subject to meeting minimum entry requirements and UCAT score) and a £1,000 University of Leicester bursary for each year of your course (up to four years) on successful registration*.
*You must meet all minimum course requirements for the course you are applying for including GCSEs and level 3 subject requirements. Courses excluded from the grade reduction and bursary include; Medicine with a Foundation Year (A199), Clinical Sciences (B990), LLB Law Graduate Entry (M102), LLB Law JD Pathway (M103) and LLB Maîtrise (M120). A guaranteed interview is only available for A100 or East Midlands applicants for A199.
Programme information
In order to successfully complete AccessLeicester and be eligible for the benefits of the programme, you need to attend three events from the below at the University of Leicester which include:
- Launch Event - Saturday 13 March 2027
- Complete a group academic assignment on one of the following dates:
- Wednesday 26 May 2027
- Thursday 5 August 2027
- Careers and Student Life Day - Saturday 11 September 2027
- Celebration - Wednesday 13 October 2027
Students interested in Medicine will have to attend an additional two events centred around the field.
Dates to these events will be shared at the Programme Launch.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for AccessLeicester, you must meet all of the essential criteria and at least one of the priority criteria. Extra weighting will be given to students who live in IMD decile 1 and those who have experienced time in care.
Essential criteria
You must meet all of these essential criteria:
- You must be a Year 12 or equivalent (lower sixth) student at the point of application and must be studying at level 3 (A-levels, BTEC extended diploma, T-level)
- You must currently attend a non-selective state school/college/sixth-form (i.e. you do not attend a fee-paying school)
- You must have attended a non-selective state school for your secondary education (11-16, non-fee paying school)
- You must be living permanently in the UK and within a 90 minute radius of the University of Leicester (either by car or public transport).
Priority criteria
- You are currently living in or have experienced local authority care for a period of at least three months in the last ten years
- You live in a neighbourhood with a high level of multiple deprivation - your postcode must be in quintile 1 or 2 in the Index of Multiple Deprivation. Find out the IMD quintile of your home postcode.
- You are a Young Adult Carer
- You are living independently of your parents (for at least the last 6 months) due to situations of family breakdown or 'estrangement'
- You are in receipt of, or entitled to Pupil Premium and/or discretionary payments/16-19 bursary at school or college
- You received free school meals during secondary school
- You would define yourself as being one of the priority engagement groups which include students from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, refugees and children of military families.
For each priority criteria you meet, you will need to provide supporting documentary evidence. For a full list of the evidence required for each criteria, please see the 'priority criteria - supporting evidence' section. Evidence will be submitted as part of the application process, so please be ready to provide copies of these documents upon request.
Priority criteria - supporting evidence
For each of the priority criteria you match, you will need to provide supporting documentary evidence as part of the application process. Please be ready to submit these upon request.
You are currently living in or have experienced local authority care for a period of at least three months in the last ten years
Please provide supporting documentary evidence from one of the following (on headed paper):
- Social Services/Local Authority
- A statement from your care worker
- A statement from your school/college.
You live in a neighbourhood with a high level of multiple deprivation. This is defined by your home postcode
You can check to see if you live in an eligible postcode by using the postcode look up tool. The Index of Multiple Deprivation Decile must be a 1.
You are a Young Adult Carer
Please provide supporting documentary evidence from one of the following (on headed paper):
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Carer’s Allowance statement/letter
- Carer’s support group
- Social Services/Local Authority
- Your relatives NHS or Private Support Worker
- A letter from your GP
You are living independently of your parents (for at least the last 6 months) due to situations of family breakdown or 'estrangement'
Please provide supporting documentary evidence from one of the following (on headed paper):
- Estranged student support group/network, such as StandAlone or the Unite Foundation
- Social Services/Local Authority
- A letter from your GP
- A statement from your school/college.
You are in receipt of, or entitled to Pupil Premium and/or discretionary payments/16-19 bursary at school or college
Please provide supporting documentary evidence by a statement from your school/college.
You received free school meals during secondary school
Please provide supporting documentary evidence by a statement from your school/college.
You would define yourself as being one of the priority engagement groups which include students from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, refugees and children of military families
Please provide supporting documentary evidence by a statement from your school/college.
How to apply
Applications will open on Wednesday 2nd September 2026.
Applications close on Sunday 21st February 2027.