Our contextual offers

As part of our commitment to improving social mobility and widening access to higher education for all, we take a holistic approach to reviewing applications and aim to understand our applicants’ circumstances and potential as much as possible.

Part of our approach is to make “contextual offers”. These are offers that take into account particular circumstances, and typically include a reduced offer, up to three grades lower than the advertised course entry requirements.

This page will signpost you to information on our four main types of contextual offer. This information is accurate for 2024 entry. Although we expect that these schemes will also be in place for 2025 entry, some of the details may change, and we will confirm full details later in 2024.

If you would like to find out some more general information about contextual admissions at universities, you might like to visit the information on the UCAS website.

You might also be interested in our Outreach and Widening Participation webpages, for more general information on how we support under-represented groups to enter higher education.

Contextual Offer Scheme

Our main Contextual Offer Scheme is available for all undergraduate degree courses, with the exception of MBChB Medicine and Surgery, and MBChB Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year.

There is no separate application process. See our Contextual Offer Scheme webpage for more information about the benefits of this scheme, and eligibility.

Medicine contextual offer scheme

If you are applying for MBChB Medicine and Surgery, and you meet two or more of our widening participation criteria, you may be eligible for a contextually lowered offer.

Alternatively, you may be eligible for our MBChB Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year, which offers an accessible entryway into studying Medicine for those who have the potential to become excellent doctors, but who may not otherwise have had the opportunity.

For more information on contextual offers for these two courses, see the Entry Requirements information for Medicine and Surgery, and Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year.

Lancaster Access Programme

The Lancaster Access Programme offers Year 12 and Year 13 students the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities and experiences, and to develop skills to help with their studies. Students who successfully complete the programme will typically be eligible for a lower offer if they apply for undergraduate study at Lancaster University. More information on this programme can be found on our Lancaster Access Programme pages.

Realising Opportunities

Realising Opportunities is a national collaboration of research-intensive universities, working together to promote fair access and social mobility of students from groups underrepresented in higher education. Over the two year programme Year 12 students from partner schools across Lancashire and Cumbria, take part in a student conference, an academic element and have the opportunity to visit universities around the country.

Students who successfully complete the programme will typically be eligible for a lower offer if they apply for undergraduate study at Lancaster University. More information on the programme can be found on the Realising Opportunities website.