Who can take part in Lancaster Access Programme?

Lancaster Access Programme is a targeted initiative delivered by Lancaster's widening participation team. Therefore, students are required to meet our academic and widening participation (WP) criteria in order to apply.

Students in Year 12 and Year 13 (or equivalent) can apply to join the programme as long as they attend a UK state school or college and meet our requirements.

Academic criteria

Applicants must be predicted and ‘on track’ to achieve a minimum of BBB at A Level or equivalent (e.g. DDM at BTEC level). In addition, students must have achieved five GCSEs at Level 4 or above, including English Language and Maths.

Widening Participation criteria

To be eligible to take part in our widening participation activities and initiatives, we ask that you meet at least two of our widening participation criteria. These are:

• People from a low income background (i.e. household income of £30,000 or less)
• People from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where higher education participation is low (IMD Q1)
• People who are first in their family to progress to higher education (i.e. parents/guardians have not attended university. This does not include siblings or other close family relations.)
• People who are (or were) entitled to free school meals or Pupil Premium
• People from Asian, Black and mixed-ethnic groups
• People with a long-term illness, health condition and/or disability
• People with a mental health condition
• People who are neurodivergent (including Specific Learning Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Condition, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• People who are D/deaf, hard of hearing, B/blind or Deaf-Blind.
• be living in, or have lived in, local authority care, and/or people who are care-experienced, a care leaver, or currently in care
• People with caring responsibilities, or Young Carers
• People estranged from their families
• People from Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Irish Traveller, Showman and Boater communities
• Refugees or asylum seekers
• Children from military families
• People from schools with a lower than national average attainment or progression to Higher Education scores.

We also ask that you are a UK student or are attending a UK school in order to take part in our widening participation activities.

The application form will gather all the required information to make a decision on your application. Criteria may be weighted according to university target groups in that particular time period.

We also utilise contextual information related to:

• Your local area, through the use of your home postcode (a checker exists below)
• You school/college, or the school you completed your GCSE studies at.

Each application is considered on a case by case basis and space is provided for further information or circumstances you wish us to be aware of in your application, we will consider these but do not guarantee a space on this basis.