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City uses contextual admissions to take into account varying individual circumstances, and institutional barriers, faced by applicants during the application process.

We aim to admit students who have the academic potential, motivation and commitment to succeed on our programmes. In doing so we are fully committed to fair and equitable access for all, regardless of background.

We will use contextual information to form a more complete view of the attainment and potential of our applicants. By using this data we aim to ensure equitable access to our university.

What information is used?

Our Contextual Admissions Scheme is currently only applicable at undergraduate level, for students domiciled in the U.K. who have submitted an application via UCAS.

Your eligibility for a contextual offer is made using the information provided on your UCAS application form. We will review every application holistically to determine whether any of the following factors apply to you:

You have been in care or looked after for three months or more

This information is derived from two fields in the UCAS application form, so it is important that care leavers declare this in their application.

You can find out more about support for Care Leavers on our Student Hub.

If you are the first generation in your family to enter Higher Education

This information is provided to us on the application to UCAS. It is important that applicants declare this when filling in their UCAS application.

View links to all of the University’s Admissions Policies.

Which programmes are part of this Scheme?

The Scheme is currently only applicable across the following subjects:

School of Arts and Social Sciences

  • Economics
  • English
  • History
  • International Politics
  • Journalism
  • Music
  • Sociology.

School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering

  • Aeronautical Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mathematics (including Mathematics courses combined with Finance and Economics)
  • All foundation programmes relating to the above subjects.

How are contextual admissions used?

The most common form of use will be within a conditional offer.

For students taking A Level qualifications this would typically see the University provide an applicant with conditional requirements two grades lower than the standard conditions. For example, if an offer is typically ABB; for students on the Contextual Admissions Scheme, that offer would be BBC.

For students taking BTEC qualifications this would typically see the conditional offer being lowered by one grade; or, the equivalent tariff adjustment. For example, if an offer is typically DDD; for students on the Contextual Admissions Scheme, that offer would be DDM.

For a student taking a combination of BTEC and A Level qualifications, this reduction is most likely to be the lowering of the conditional offer by eight points (equivalent to one grade). For example, 128 points from a BTEC subsidiary and two A level subjects, would become 120 points and may include a specific contribution requirement from the BTEC subject.

The University will ensure that all entry requirements are appropriate for the academic needs of the programmes and for the students the University seeks to attract. We reserve the right to add restrictions for the subject in which a grade could be dropped and some specific programmes may have grade requirements that cannot be altered.

Following our internal research, we are confident that with the appropriate student support, applicants entering our courses with slightly lower grades, will be at no disadvantage when starting with us.

Further developments to this policy

We have launched the policy for students applying from October 2021, for the 2022/23 UCAS cycle. The University plans to extend this Scheme for the 2023/23 UCAS cycle, which begins in September 2022.

At the moment, the Scheme is only be applied to applicants with A-Level and BTEC qualifications; and only for students paying the home fee, starting in the first year of an undergraduate degree. We cannot offer grade adjustments for part-time studies, deferred applicants or those who enter through Clearing.

It is also likely that the design of the Scheme will see some change, as we look to incorporate the latest in policy suggestions from across the sector; and as we refine the scheme on the basis of feedback from our students and applicants.

We will update these pages when these plans are confirmed.

Funding options

Applicants are encouraged to be aware of all the various funding options that are available to them, highlighted below.