What is Widening Access?
UWS is Scotland’s leading widening participation university. At UWS widening access has always been central to our institution. We believe in supporting and enabling students to achieve their potential regardless of their background.
Widening access addresses patterns of under-representation in higher education. It is also part of a governmental education policy in Scotland and the UK. Widening access attempts to increase the proportion of people entering higher education, from under-represented groups.
UWS works with prospective students from groups that are currently under-represented, including students:
- From low-income backgrounds and low socioeconomic groups as defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD)
- Who are care experienced
- Who are young carers
- Who are estranged from their families
- From under-represented ethnic backgrounds
- Who attend schools and colleges where performance is below the national average, this includes FOCUS West or SHEP schools
- Mature students who have complete a SWAP Access course
- Who are the first in their generation to consider higher education
- Asylum seekers and refugees
Widening Access at UWS
UWS is committed to Widening Access and works on many pre-entry initiatives to encourage applicants from all backgrounds to realise their full potential.
- UWS Foundation Academy provides senior pupils from target schools an opportunity to develop academic skills at university level, improve their UCAS application and build on skills and confidence before moving on from high school to higher education.
- FOCUS West Routes for All Programme working with schools across the West of Scotland with low progression to higher education and encouraging young people to look at higher education after school
- Access to a Career in Education (ACE) – a UWS initiative working to support young pupils in Ayrshire schools who are interested in a career in teaching
- Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP) for adults returning to study
- College Transition Support and Articulation
- Contextual Admissions
- Supporting Care Experienced, Estranged and Student Carers with pre-entry advice and guidance in schools and communities across Scotland
- Corporate Parenting at UWS
For more information on any of the above programmes please contact The WeCare team: WeCare@uws.ac.uk
Other Support - We also offer additional support to asylum seekers and refugees and military veterans and their families at UWS. For more information, please email ask@uws.ac.uk
UWS Outcome Agreement 2023-24
This document provides the intended action that UWS will commit to through the outcome agreement with the Scottish Funding Council for 2023-24. It details the institution’s actions to achieve the key priorities set out by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in its guidance document for 2023-24.
Last updated: 10/07/2024