What is an access and participation plan?

Access and participation plans set out how higher education providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in and progress from higher education.

Download the full access and participation plan for University of Nottingham (PDF)

Fees we charge 

At the University of Nottingham, the maximum fees charged are:

• £9,250 for full-time students.
• £6,935 for part-time students. Part time students will normally pay a fee that is proportional to the amount of study they are undertaking.  

You can see a full list of fees for courses at the University of Nottingham.

Financial help available

A Core Bursary is available to all UK undergraduate students with a household income of less than £35,000. From September 2025, this is £1,400 per year of study.

The Nottingham Potential Bursary is also available which is bursary available to care-experienced students, mature students, part-time students, refugees and young carers. This is £1,000 per year of study.

Some students may find that they are eligible for both bursaries.

The Student Hardship fund is also available to undergraduate students. Students can apply for financial aid if they are struggling with living costs.

Information for students

Prospective students receive information on fees and financial support at in person events, such as our open days, our website and social media and through individual communication by post, email and phone calls. Financial support staff can also provide pre-admission financial information.

Current students receive information about fees and the financial support available on our website and from the Student Services Team.

The most up to date information is available on our website.

What we are doing to achieve our aims 

The University of Nottingham is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all students.

• We will continue to develop our contextual admissions policy to offer personalised entry requirements to those who are eligible for Free Schools Meals. This means applicants being able to access the university with lower grades than are usually expected due to their personal circumstances.
• We will continue to work with schools to support more pupils from underrepresented groups to attain good grades and progress to higher education.
• We will run a new programme of activity to support students from underrepresented groups as they transition into higher education.
• We will ensure there is substantial financial support including bursaries and hardship funds available to target students.
• We will further develop our personal tutoring programme to deliver tailored support to underrepresented groups through specially trained tutors.
• We will further develop our Black Success Academy to provide a programme of activity for Black Students
• We will complete regular reviews of our degree courses to ensure that they are supporting all students to succeed and progress including reviewing the curriculum.
• We will further develop our evaluation of activities to enhance our understanding of the student experience.

Evaluation – how we will measure what we have achieved

Our activities are informed by the best available evidence about what works for students to ensure the greatest possible impact for our students. We collect data and feedback to evaluate the:

• activities we deliver
• impact on our targets
• outcomes of our activities

The Access and Participation Plan Steering Group monitors and reports on these processes to the University Executive Board. The group oversees implementation of actions to ensure ongoing progress against yearly milestones in our access and participation plan. We monitor impact on our target groups, to ensure we are addressing our aims. Where appropriate, we will adjust our activities in the best interests of our students.