Contextual offers
Overview
For UK students, as well as taking into account your qualifications, reference and personal statement, we also consider the context in which your education has taken place, which is assessed through information you provide in your UCAS application.
This is contextual data, used to encourage widening participation; done so that we can make a fair decision on whether to accept an applicant with grades slightly below our standard entry requirements, based on a judgement that they have the potential to succeed at degree level study.
Contextual offers are not made for BTEC qualifications or A level combined with other qualifications. Please be advised, contextual offers are not applicable where an applicant is applying through Clearing.
Information considered
Examples of contextual data we may take into account include:
- Free School Meals
- Experience of care
- POLAR4
- IMD
- Estrangement
- Caring responsibilities
- Parenting responsibilities
- Parent or carer in armed forces
- Served in armed forces
- Refugee/asylum seeker status
The POLAR score looks at how likely young people are to participate in higher education across the UK and how this varies by area. While the IMD measures relative deprivation across England, considering factors such as income, employment, crime and barriers to housing.
Contextual offers
In general, when an offer of study is extended, the conditions given are based on our standard entry requirements. If a contextual offer is extended, the conditions are made with slightly reduced entry requirements, up to two grades below our standard entry requirements.
Applicants must meet at least one of the above criteria to be considered for a contextual offer. Subject-specific requirements are not part of a contextual offer.
