Widening participation

We understand that background and personal circumstances can have an impact on your students’ academic performance. We offer alternative ways to allow these students to reach their potential and thrive at a world-class university. These include our Arts and Humanities Foundation Year programme, and contextual offers. 

Arts and Humanities Foundation Year

for our degrees (see personal circumstances). It is an opportunity for students to develop key skills before progressing to a choice of direct entry degrees. These skills include communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and digital capability.

Read more information on our Foundation Year programme, including the eligibility criteria.

Find out more

Contextual offers

Subject to eligibility, we can make a reduced conditional offer to study with us. These offers are usually one grade lower than the entry requirements in our prospectus. Eligibility is based on personal circumstances that may have restricted achievement at school or college. If our standard offer includes a specific subject grade, this will generally remain. A useful starting point to see which students are eligible for a contextual offer, please use our postcode checker. 

Contextual offers and postcode checker

Scholarships and bursaries

On occasion, we are able to offer means tested and competitive bursaries to support widening access. We update the information as it becomes available. Offer holders will also be notified by email about applying.

Read more about scholarships and bursaries 

In the future, we may also provide links to events such as The Festival of History, and the Ways to Study Politics Conference.