Our access activities are designed to open doors to higher education, empowering students from underrepresented backgrounds to achieve their goals and build bright futures.
Our Core Support Offer
We know that everyone’s path to university looks different. Some learners may come up against challenges or need extra support along the way. That’s why we provide a core support offer for students with the following lived experiences.
Students who are a care leaver, care experienced or estranged*
Students with caring responsibilities*
Students who were eligible for free school meals
Students entering university from a neighbourhood where there is low participation in higher education, and students from low-income households (check your postcode link).
Students who hold refugee status
Students who identify as Black, Asian or from other minority ethnic groups*
* These student groups receive enhanced support as per our commitments in our Widening Access and Student Success Strategy.
Email support
Get answers to your questions and queries, including advice and guidance on UCAS applications. We can also signpost you towards relevant access activity opportunities.
Access videos and materials on a wide variety of topics to help you prepare for university, including topics such as:
Applying for university and Student Finance and funding as a mature student
An overview of university support services at Edge Hill
Advice, guidance and support for students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties
Interested? Email us via [email protected] for access to our dedicated resource page.
Open Days
Speak to the Widening Access and Student Success Team in person at the Open Day Student Experience Fair, where you can learn more about the dedicated support offers available for care-experienced and estranged students and students with caring responsibilities, as well as finding out more information about our access and success programmes. Check out our upcoming event dates to find out more.
Supporting your supporters
We’re also here for parents, carers, teachers, and advisers, making sure they have the information and guidance they need to support you on your journey. They can contact us with any questions or queries and we’ll be happy to help.
To mark National Care Leavers Month, the Widening Access and Student Success Team are running free, online CPD lunchtime sessions throughout November for anyone supporting students with care experience or familial estrangement (CEES) who are considering a university as a future pathway. Sessions will share practical tips on helping students to research and apply to higher education, access Student Finance and funding as an ‘independent’ student and supporting a smooth transition into university life. Attendees will also be able to find out more about our dedicated institutional support offer for care experienced and estranged students, which has received the NNECL quality mark in recognition of our commitment to supporting learners from a CEES background at every stage of their journey into and through Higher Education. Find out more, identify session dates and times, and book here.
Edge Hill Access Programme
What is the Edge Hill Access Programme?
Our access programme is designed to support students from underrepresented backgrounds, offering a clear path into higher education through tailored support and enrichment opportunities.
With a programme stacked with activities ranging from student support to academic tasters and more, our unique initiative allows you to design your own timetable to best fit with your individual needs and scheduling.
Successful completion of the Edge Hill Access Programme enables you to receive access to our institutional Fair Entry criteria 2-grade reduction on application to Edge Hill (with the exception of Medicine programmes), as well as a host of other benefits including progression to our on-course support programme Thrive.
What does the programme include?
Sessions on the programme are predominantly virtual, and you will also have the option of attending our in-person event days depending on your needs.
Academic
Attend academic sessions including on-campus subject taster days for subject areas of your choice
Hear from students and staff about their academic experiences
Social
Attend Q&A sessions with our current students to hear about their lived experience as an Edge Hill student
Take part in social activities with some of our students which are designed to give you a flavour of some of our Edge Hill University Student Life opportunities
Hear from staff and students about societies and teams that you can join in our Student Union
Take part in University activities running during important national awareness and celebration periods, e.g. Black History Month, Carers Rights Day, Care Leavers Week, etc.
Support
Attend specific lived experience sessions to find out more about life and support at University for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students, students with experience of care or estrangement, students with caring responsibilities, and more
Hear from our Faith and Community team and find out about our Chaplaincy service, including the different faiths that are represented by our Chaplains and the activities that they deliver to students of all faiths and none
Sessions on supporting your health and wellbeing, including an overview of services available to students at Edge Hill
Guidance
Advice and guidance sessions on researching courses and universities, including how to apply via UCAS, writing your personal statement and interview preparation
Information and support on applying for Student Finance and other sources of funding
Study skills sessions to support you with your revision
Parents and Supporters
Dedicated sessions for your parents and supporters to help develop their knowledge around Higher Education, including:
Researching courses and universities
Student Finance and funding
Helping you to prepare for the transition into University
Q&A opportunities with University staff
Who can join the Access Programme?
You must be currently studying in Year 12 (sixth form) or Year 1 (college) and meet one or more of the following criteria:
Students who are a care leaver, care experienced or estranged*
Students who were eligible for free school meals
Students entering university from a neighbourhood where there is low participation in higher education, and students from low-income households (Check your postcode).
Students with caring responsibilities*
Students who hold refugee status
Students who identify as Black, Asian or from other minority ethnic groups*
The Edge Hill University Access Programme will be relaunching in February 2027 for the 2026-27 academic year. Please contact the Widening Access and Student Success Team via [email protected] if you have any questions. Alternatively, if you are a student and would like to express your interest in joining the programme when it launches, please complete our expression of interest form.
We work collaboratively with three regional Uni Connect partnerships; Shaping Futures, Future U and Hello Future to deliver further access activities and initiatives to support under-represented student groups into Higher Education.
View some of our upcoming activities for the 2025/26 academic year below.
Future Foundations
Run in partnership with the Uniconnect Shaping Futures, Loudspeaker and Liverpool Hope University, the programme aims to boost the confidence, self-expression, and advocacy skills of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students between Years 9 to 11.
Previous activities on the programme have included:
Exploring advocacy and communication with University staff and students in school
A campus visit led by Loudspeaker focusing on developing resilience and sense of identity
A visit to both University campuses to take part in an academic taster sessions such as a mock court trial with the Law and Criminal Justice department
Student feedback from last year’s programme highlighted the Loudspeaker session and mock trial as favourites:
“All aspects were really great. School input set the scene and drew out the meaning of advocacy, and the sessions at Edge Hill were all engaging and impactful.”
NEW for 2026/27: An additional on-campus event has been added to the end of the programme to celebrate students’ achievements and bring together learning from across all sessions.
Interested in signing up your students? Email the Widening Access Team via [email protected] before 23rd December 2026.
Professional development conference for supporters of care experienced and estranged students
Designed and delivered in collaboration with our network partners in Shaping Futures, our professional development conference for supporters of care experienced and estranged students aims to upskill trusted adults of this key under-represented student group in order to support students’ progression into Higher Education.
Delivered on our Edge Hill Ormskirk campus in March each year, professionals from Local Authorities, charitable organisations, and educational institutions attend for a full day of interactive sessions, including workshops and presentations on:
Pathways into further and higher education
Support offers available to students from charitable organisations in the region
Understanding the Higher Education admissions process, as well as Student Finance and funding
Dedicated further and higher education institutional support offers for care experienced and estranged students in the region
Question and Answer sessions with students of lived experience speaking about their educational journeys
Discussion tables on how partners can better work together to enhance processes and support systems between organisations to better support students
The next conference will be held on Wednesday 24 March 2027, form 10am to 2.30pm.
Booking for the conference will open in January 2026. If you would like to receive a link to the booking form when the event goes live, please complete our Expression of Interest form. Want more information? Contact the Widening Access and Student Success Team to find out more via [email protected]
Future Unwrapped
Run in partnership with the Uniconnect Shaping Futures and Liverpool Hope University, the programme aims to support the progression of students with experience of care or estrangement into Higher Education. Aimed at students between Years 9 to 11, the programme encourages students to explore what they would like to do in their future, explore what learning looks like at HE level, and links educational option choices with future employability.
king place over the academic year, activities on the programme include
Visiting university campuses to explore student life and academic study
Talks with staff and students with lived experience to discuss the bespoke support offers available to students with experience of care or estrangement
Subject taster activities with academic departments and understanding links to graduate employment
Interested in signing up your students? Email the Widening Access Team via [email protected] before Friday 4th December 2026.
Further support
As well as our activities and initiatives, we also work with other teams in Edge Hill to offer further targeted support to students meeting widening participation criteria, as well as their supporters.
