Schools, colleges and community

AccessLeicester

Are you considering studying at the University of Leicester? Do you want to receive support with your application, a lower offer and a bursary? Can you reach the University of Leicester campus in 90 minutes or less (driving or public transport)?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then AccessLeicester is the programme for you. Through this 8-month programme you will have the opportunity to:

  • Meet like-minded people
  • Meet and engage with world leading academics
  • Develop your skills and knowledge to support your application to higher education
  • Have priority booking for our residentials
  • 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)*, 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 4 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 Graduate Entry (M102), LLB Law JD Pathway (M103) and LLB Maîtrise (M120).

Programme information

In order to successfully complete AccessLeicester and be eligible for the benefits of the programme, you need to attend at least two central events (one of which must be the launch event) and one subject specific event. For prospective medical students, you must also attend either the UCAT prep day or the mock MMI day.

Key dates

There are some events which you need to attend in order to successfully complete AccessLeicester. Please ensure you can attend these before submitting an application form:

  • Launch event (compulsory event): Saturday 5 April 2025, University of Leicester campus
  • Subject insight days: Thursday 10 April 2025, Medicine and Healthcare and School of Business
  • Group academic workshops: Tuesday 27 and Thursday 29 May 2025 (you would only need to attend one date)
  • Subject insight days: Wednesday 25 June 2025, Law, Criminology and Sociology and STEM
  • UCAT workshop: Saturday 28 June 2025 (medicine applicants)
  • University Open Day: Saturday 13 September 2025
  • Skills session: Saturday 11 October 2025
  • Mock MMI: Saturday 22 November 2025 (medicine applicants)

There will also be a number of other on campus workshops and virtual tasters on offer throughout the programme, which will be advertised to you throughout your time with us.

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 in the Index of Multiple Deprivation (English indices of deprivation 2019: postcode lookup)
  • 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

If you are interested in applying for our programme, please do ensure you meet the criteria listed above and are available on the key dates mentioned. For further information, please email us on progression@le.ac.uk.

Applications close Sunday 16 March 2025.

Apply now

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