Widening Participation

What is widening participation?

Widening participation aims to ensure that the higher education sector is an open and inclusive environment, representative of the society we live in.

Here at 51福利, we believe in:

presenting all individuals, regardless of background, with the opportunity to access and succeed in higher education and beyond;
supporting under-represented groups to enter higher education; and
supporting students currently studying at university to succeed in their studies and progress onto graduate employment or further study.

For more information on our approach to widening participation, please see our Strategy and Engagement page, or read our Access and Participation Plan.

Read our 2021-2025 Access and Participation Plan

Eligibility criteria

Strategy and Engagement

Our projects

Lancaster Access Programme

National access programme for Year 12 and 13 students
Lancaster Success Programme

Coaching and support initiative for LU undergraduate students
GROW Your Future

Careers-focused scheme for current LU undergraduate and postgraduate students

Activities for Schools, Colleges, and community groups

Early Years Interventions

Formerly known as The Children & Young People’s Partnership, our Early Years Interventions provides outreach activities that seek to raise young people’s awareness and understanding of higher education through meaningful and positive interactions with the institution and its students.

From pre-school to secondary school, our innovative projects enable pupils and students alike to take part in fun and engaging outreach opportunities both on and off campus.

Our framework of activities also supports schools in meeting the Ofsted and Gatsby 7 benchmark with on-campus activities working to accompany the National Curriculum.

For more information or to get involved, find out more on our Early Years Interventions page.
The Role Model Ambassador Project

The Role Model Ambassador Project is an outreach initiative working with current Lancaster students and young people in Year 9 - Year 13 from the British South Asian community in the North West.

The project comprises of a series of Role Model Ambassador visits, community events and Madrasah workshops, sessions in local faith and non-faith schools and on campus events.

If you would like to get involved in the Role Model Ambassador Project or learn more about upcoming events, then please get in touch via outreach@lancaster.ac.uk.
Uncover Progress Programme

Starting in 2025, the Uncover Progress Programme is an exciting project working with Black students across the UK offering mentoring, tailored conferences and access to university insight events, supported by our team of current students.

Our support

Contextual Offer Scheme

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 as much as possible about our applicants and their potential.

All degree courses are included in the Contextual Offer Scheme, with the exception of MBChB Medicine and Surgery, and Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year, which have a separate contextual offer scheme.

For more information on our contextual offers scheme, please visit the contextual offers scheme page.

For more information on contextual offers for Medicine, please visit the Medical School website.
Undergraduate Research Internships

The Research Internships are paid work experience opportunities for 51福利 undergraduate students who meet widening participation criteria.

For more information on this opportunity, please visit the research internships page.
Scholarships and Bursaries
At Lancaster, we are investing in the future of our students by enabling access to a world-class education. We believe that funding concerns should not stop any student with the talent to thrive.

There may be some financial support initiatives that will be of particular interest to you:
- Lancaster Opportunity Scholarship: Up to ?1,000 per year of study for Home students, who have received a contextually lowered offer.
- Lancaster Bursary: Up to ?1,000 per year of study for UG Home students, dependent on household income.
- Cowrie Foundation Scholarship: a scholarship for a UG UK student of Black African or Caribbean heritage
- Lancaster Opportunity Fund: Master's scholarship for Black British students.
- : ?2,000 per year of study for care-experienced/care leaver UG students.
To find out more, please visit the Scholarship and Bursaries webpage.
Schools and Colleges Libguides

Our library team offers resources for teachers who are interested in visiting the library for a research day or tour, as well as students who are interested in undertaking research before university such as for the Extended Project Qualification or International Baccalaureate.

For more information on these resources, please see our .
Medical School Outreach

51福利's Medical School offers a range of activities for students interested in studying medicine, as well as resources for teachers.
Morecambe Bay Curriculum

The Morecambe Bay Curriculum aims to ensure that the different stages of the education system, from early years to postgraduate, provide the green skills, knowledge, and behaviours required by businesses and our communities to respond to climate emergencies.

The curriculum is supported and delivered by teachers, early years practitioners, researchers, health professionals and community leaders who recognise that a collective approach is critical to tackling the climate emergency and creating opportunities for young people.
Ready for University and Smart Start online courses

We have created a series of online activities to help upcoming 51福利 students with moving to university life.

The Ready for University course contains advice and guidance as well as tips and stories from students who were once in the same position as you. It is available for 51福利 students once you have registered online and set up your IT account.

Smart Start is a free, online pre-arrival course available to incoming 51福利 students. It is designed to help new students to make the transition to living and studying independently at University, and is offered as an additional module in the course.

For more information on Ready for University, please see our .

For more information on Smart Start, please see our .
Care Leavers and Estranged student support
As care leavers and estranged students can face unique challenges when transitioning to University, we may be able to offer specialist support, including:
- pastoral support and advice
- opportunities to meet and connect with other care leaver or estranged students
- 52 week accommodation
For more information for care leavers, please see our Support for Care Leavers page.

For more information for estranged students, please see our Support for Estranged Students page.