AccessLeicester

In order to successfully complete AccessLeicester and be eligible for the benefits of the programme, you need to attend three events at the University of Leicester which include:

• Launch Event - Saturday 7 March 2026 
• Complete a group academic assignment on one of the following dates:
  • Wednesday 8 April 2026
  • Wednesday 27 May 2026
  • Thursday 6 August 2026
• One other on campus event which could include: Open Days, UCAT support, Mock MMI, subject specific events, skills focussed events.

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.

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.

Applications are now open for current Year 12 students. Please complete this application form to apply. Please answer all questions as honestly as you can, as we may ask for evidence.

Applications close on Sunday 8 February 2026.

If you have any questions about your application, please email the progression programme team at progression@le.ac.uk.