As a disabled student from a single-parent, low-income household, taking advantage of all the university support available to me was imperative to enable me to make the most of HE. In this blog post, I would like to highlight the kinds of support typically available to students, the impact this support has, and how university support can be highlighted to students who may be from a widening participation background.
During my first year at the University of Manchester, I received an email which explained that I was eligible for, and had been successfully awarded, the Manchester Bursary. I was so confused that I would receive a cash bursary that I hadn’t even applied for. When filling in my UCAS form, I had opted to share details of my household income with universities and was automatically considered for the Manchester Bursary – unbeknownst to me! This highlights the importance of ensuring students and parents opt-in to share household income information with universities through UCAS – a fact that I was never made aware of. I received a non-repayable cash bursary of £2,000 in each year of my course which made such a huge difference to my overall university experience. I was able to use the bursary to cover some of my living costs which allowed me to spend more time getting involved in university societies and extra-curricular activities, enriching my university experience and allowing me to develop transferable skills which I could utilise in a graduate role or postgraduate study. This highlights the long-standing impact that additional financial support can have on a student’s life. You can find out more about Manchester bursaries and scholarships here and similar bursaries are available at other universities too.
The DASS (Disability Advisory and Support Service) is a service provided by the University of Manchester to support their disabled students. Although I had heard of the DASS during my undergraduate studies, I didn’t think about accessing support. This was partially due to a lack of understanding that I could consider myself a disabled student. Moreover, I was fearful that disclosing my disability would involve many members of staff knowing and treating me differently as a result. The DASS is actually incredibly transparent about the scope and details of disclosure, and they explicitly ask for your consent before disclosing your disability to relevant members of staff. Whilst undertaking postgraduate study, I decided to access support through DASS on the basis of a friend’s recommendation. I also felt more empowered to disclose my disability as I had grown in confidence during my time as an undergraduate. The DASS were incredibly helpful and I found registering and formulating a ‘University Support Plan’ relatively easy. This raises the important role of teachers and advisors in reassuring and empowering students to disclose a disability so that they can access the right support for them. A ‘University Support Plan’ can include exam support (e.g. extra time or quieter exam rooms), library support (e.g. extended returns), as well as academic support, such as alternative course materials, access to podcasts and extended deadlines for assignments. Accessing this kind of support can ease anxiety and stress, allowing students that disclose a disability to better manage both their disability and the heavy, and often pressurised, workload associated with university study. You can find out more about the DASS here. Similar services are also available at other universities.
Related to this, my lack of confidence during my undergraduate degree also meant I didn’t actively seek out the support of my academic advisor or course tutors. Although there is an emphasis on independent study at university, it’s really important to highlight that students are still being taught a subject by world-leading experts. In my experience, there is often an attitude among many students that they shouldn’t seek academic support or advice because then they have failed to “do it on their own”. This is a damaging way to view university study and I think it’s incredibly easy, especially as a student with less confidence, to try and struggle through things alone. My experience highlights the importance of students seeking support, asking questions and getting queries clarified. Not only does this allow students to realise their full academic potential by mastering their subject, it also allows them to feel like an important part of the university community by forming strong relationships with teaching staff. I found that my university experience was at its peak when I was chatting to academic staff. Being continually challenged intellectually further enhanced my passion for my subject and lively discussions contributed to my growing confidence and sense of wellbeing. Therefore, ensuring that students are aware that they can, and should, actively seek academic advice and feedback wherever possible is really important. You can find out more about study support for students at Manchester here.
My own worries, thoughts and experiences, I imagine, are very similar to those of many other prospective students looking to enter HE. I have highlighted here just three of the ways that my university experience was enhanced – through additional financial support, disability support and academic support. I wanted to highlight how much of an impact this has had not only on my life as a student, but my life after study too.
This article examines research which highlights the emerging impact of the EPQ on progression to higher education (HE) and university success, with particularly promising findings for underrepresented and marginalised students.
The thought of an interview can be daunting for many students. The thought of multiple interviews can seem a lot worse.
University interviews can be daunting for students, especially when it’s their first time applying for a competitive course like Law.
As representatives of the University of Exeter, we were excited to present at the Neon conference on our partnership with The Elephant Group (TEG) to diversify our student body.
As educators and advisers, keeping up with the latest developments in the university application process is essential to effectively guide students.
Richard, an Economics and Finance student at the University of York, discusses how he chose his GCSEs and A-levels, his study motivations, and offers advice on selecting qualifications.
Daniyel, a Law student at King’s College London, shares how he chose his subjects and offers advice on qualifications and personal statements.
Orin, studied Law at the University of Oxford, shares how her GCSEs influenced her A-level choices and decision to attend university. She also offers advice on selecting qualifications.
Josh, a Computer Science student at the University of Newcastle, shares how he chose his A-levels, offers advice on university applications, and reflects on valuable lessons for future students.
Mayowa studies English Literature at King's College London. She shares her university application journey, her enjoyment of university life, and valuable advice for choosing a course and university.
Mayowa, studying English Literature at King's College London, discusses her GCSE and A-Level subject choices, offering advice for students on making informed decisions.
Sarah, a Biochemistry graduate from Birmingham, discusses how university aided her transition to employment and shares valuable insights for choosing the right career path.
Samra, a Medicine student at the University of Liverpool, shares how she chose her course, the value of her work experience, and advice on overcoming barriers. She also offers tips for applying to study medicine.
Jackson, a Theatre and Performance Studies student at the University of Bristol, shares his insights on choosing qualifications, the significance of enjoying your subjects, and how bursaries and scholarships influenced his university decision.
Eireann, an English and Education graduate from Cambridge, shares how a summer school helped her decide on university and her course. She also offers advice on selecting the right university.
Gemma, a Communication and Media student at the University of Leeds, explains how an access course helped her and shares thoughts on university as a path for everyone.
Amy, an English Language graduate from the University of Glasgow, shares how she chose her university course, why she selected Glasgow, and her experience with scholarships.
Billie-Joe, studying Social Work and Geography at Queen's University Belfast, shares how she chose her GCSE subjects, what she enjoyed in A-Level, and offers advice for subject consideration.
Billie-Joe discusses her university life, sharing advice for care leavers, her motivation for studying social work, extracurricular involvement, and the benefits she gained as a student.
Hamid studies Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at LSE. He discusses his career aspirations, factors influencing his course choice, and how summer schools shaped his university decision.
Billie-Joe, studying Social Work and Geography at Queen's University Belfast, shares his university selection process, reasons for choosing Belfast, and helpful advice for others.
Bishoy shares his journey in choosing a university and course, highlighting the significance of aligning his degree with career goals and evaluating different options.
Sophie discusses her journey to studying Law at Sheffield, covering her decision-making process, considerations for open days, and advice on personal statements.
Fatima, studying Dentistry at Cardiff University, shares her journey, emphasising diverse work experiences, teacher support during applications, and the benefits of attending a Russell Group University.
Khima, a Law student at the University of Edinburgh, shares how he chose his A-Levels and how his dream job influenced those decisions.
Sophie, a law student at Sheffield, shares her experiences with GCSEs and offers valuable advice for selecting A-Level subjects based on her personal choices.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, discusses choosing a university and course, highlighting the benefits of access schemes in decision-making.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, shares how his degree aided his career at Enterprise and offers tips for securing a graduate job.
Bishoy, studying Aerospace Engineering at Southampton, reflects on his university experience, highlighting the skills gained and what he enjoyed most about student life.
Onome, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Imperial College London, discusses his summer school experience, course highlights, and what mattered when applying for jobs after his masters.
Khima discusses his motivation for studying law at Edinburgh, highlights the city's appeal, and shares tips for open days.
Habiba, studying Maths at Queen Mary University, discusses her course selection factors, extracurricular activities, and shares valuable advice for choosing the right university.
Richard, an Economics and Finance student at the University of York, shares his university life experience, highlighting extracurricular activities and how they prepared him for future employment.
Nathan, an English student at Exeter, shares why he chose his course, the benefits of a gap year, and offers advice on selecting a university subject.
Matt, a Linguistics student at UCL, shares how he chose his GCSE subjects, the skills that supported his studies, and offers advice for selecting subjects.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, shares insights on making subject choices, emphasising how his GCSE experience influenced his A-Level decisions.
Jess discusses her Sociology experience at Durham, highlighting involvement opportunities, the benefits of university, and advice for those considering applying to higher education.
Gemma, a Communication and Media student at the University of Leeds, shares her experiences navigating university life with a disability and the opportunities she found.
Nathan, an English student at the University of Exeter, discusses challenges he faced transitioning to A-levels and shares insights that helped him realise he could attend university.
Habiba, studying Maths at Queen Mary University, shares how her future plans influenced her GCSE choices and offers valuable advice for making subject selections.
Fatima, studying Dentistry at Cardiff University, shares her insights on excelling in studies, the A-Level transition, and the importance of keeping her subject choices open for future opportunities.
In this case study, Khima, a Law student at the University of Edinburgh, talks about how getting involved in extra-curricular activities made her university experience even better.
Amy, an English Language graduate from the University of Glasgow, offers advice on subject choices, succeeding at highers, overcoming challenges, and her decision to pursue a postgraduate course.
This year, Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge established a joint venture to deliver two admissions tests.
This article will discuss different barriers which LGBTQ+ students may face, and tools we can effectively use to dismantle these barriers.
We know students are using Chat GPT for their Personal Statements, right?
Within this blog, you will find an introduction to the new Advancing Access team, information on how Advancing Access can support you as well as upcoming opportunities to get involved in!
Degree apprenticeships continue to rise in popularity and appeal across all industry sectors.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to drastically increase the number of education and training places available in healthcare professions.
Students are bound to feel the pressure when they receive offers and the choice is in their hands.
With housing shortages, rising prices and varying application processes, it’s no wonder that students find the prospect of arranging accommodation at university daunting.
You may have seen reports in the media recently that UCAS are planning on making changes to the undergraduate application process.
You may have heard different universities talk about their ‘Access and Participation Plans’ (or APPs).
With the right preparation, students can approach university interviews with confidence and turn what might be a daunting experience into an enjoyable one.
In October 2017 the University of Oxford made its first foray into digital outreach with the launch of Oxplore.org.
You will be familiar with talking to parents and carers of students to support attainment and learning.
Admissions tests allow students to be academically stretched and assessed and enable universities to distinguish those individuals with the most ability.
You may have heard by now that there are some new questions on the UCAS application for students applying to enter HE from 2023 onwards.
The most daunting and difficult task for students when applying to university is writing their personal statement.
How well is your school or college doing in terms of the proportion of students who progress to HE.
The reality of working in education is that resources are limited and must be targeted.
It’s already that time of year again. The time when you and your students prepare to submit UCAS applications.
Are you supporting students who may be interested in studying law in Scotland?
The study of humans, especially in an ever changing world, has been an intriguing area for many years and has always been of immense value – now perhaps even more than ever before.
Super-curricular activities can include anything your students do outside of the curriculum related to the subject(s) they are interested in.
The Government is currently in the process of reforming level 3 qualifications in England and new T Level qualifications are seen as the centrepiece of these reforms.
A new school year is beginning and although Covid-19 is still with us we can at least now say that the worst is likely to be behind us.
In the UK, there is a growing desire to ‘level-up’ or widen participation of young people accessing higher education.
Recently there has been a lot of discussion around disadvantaged pupils and specifically the low attainment of white working class students.
Prospective mature students who are considering making Higher Education applications face various issues to navigate.
Supporting students with disabilities to access university may feel overwhelming - the processes are different to those in schools or colleges.
An estranged student, according to the charity Stand Alone, is a young person who is, or will be, “studying without the support and approval of a family network.”
With the Turing Scheme coming in this year, new opportunities for students from all backgrounds to have an international adventure are emerging.
Lack of family support during adolescent years can cause serious challenges with practical matters such as accessing funding and accommodation.
As a disabled student from a single-parent, low-income household, taking advantage of all the university support available to me was imperative to enable me to make the most of HE.
Last year, the government saw a backlash from students, teachers and parents as their commissioned exam grade algorithm came under criticism.
Even in 2021, there are still myths surrounding post-16 vocational qualifications and the possibility for students to progress from these qualifications onto higher education (HE).
There are a large number of misconceptions about the true cost of university. Some of these misconceptions overestimate the cost, while others underestimate it.
Foundation Years are increasingly common at universities in the UK. The University of Cambridge recently announced the launch of its first and existing programmes.
Even in such politically polarised times there’s one thing which politicians of all stripes can agree on: action is needed to enable more disadvantaged students to progress to the UK’s top universities.
Following on from last year’s ‘self-release’ function, UCAS have released a new feature called Clearing Plus which will be available from early July until the end of August.
It’s that time of year when we would normally be rolling out the well-practised routine of HE Fairs, UCAS Exhibitions and Open Days for students applying for university entry in 2021.
As a working class minority ethnic undergraduate student, I noticed the lack of representation on my ancient history course, but it wasn’t until I started my role as a Widening Participation Graduate Intern.
‘Service children’ or children from ‘military families’ are the terms used to refer to children in schools or colleges with a parent or parents who currently serve in the armed forces or have served in the last six years.
The percentage of 16-17 year olds recorded in education and training within England, as at March 2019, was 93%.
As the January 15 UCAS deadline has passed and universities across the country are busy processing offers.
Over the last five years there has been a spike in university outreach activities and programmes available for secondary schools and colleges to partake in.
With as little as 12% of care leavers entering higher education we should all be looking at ways in which we can support looked after children (LaC) from an early age.
Choosing which path to pursue after sixth form or college can be a stressful time for students.
Taking part in a Widening Participation programme was one of the best things I decided to do over the summer of 2017.
“Contextual admissions” is currently something of a hot topic in higher education.
The Office for Students has launched a new website for prospective students called Discover Uni.
Students usually begin the process of applying for university in the last two years of school and teachers play a key role in supporting this process.
As someone who has answered hundreds of phone calls in the past from students on A level results day.
Two new apps have been released by the Universities Minister in a bid to simplify the wealth of information surrounding university and career choices for students.
the Russell Group launched a new interactive website to host its Informed Choices guide.
In this post, Anais Banag, a fourth-year law student at Edinburgh Law School, shares her experience of being involved with ‘Access to the Professions’.
One of the subjects we’ve been asked about most just recently is Degree Apprenticeships. What are they? Are they right for your students? And how do your students apply for them?
It might be argued that writing a personal statement is something of a guessing game. Students know very little about those who will read it.
The name of the test which many universities require applicants to take for their medical and dental degree programmes has changed from the UKCAT (United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test) to the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test).
When encouraging young people to pursue higher education, in whatever form that might be, we’re often faced with a barrage of questions asking how, and more importantly why, they should do so.
We hope that you find our free Advancing Access resources useful. As we are not the only provider of higher education advice and information, we thought that we would present you with a summary of some of the best other sources.
If ever there’s a situation where universities and schools are talking a different language when it comes to a given topic, we see part of our job as being the interpreter.
The first article in a blog is rarely the most interesting one – I dare say that this will be no exception…
