Access to Leeds application guidelines

If you are applying for Access to Leeds, this guidance will help you and your referee to complete the application.

If you are applying, you must complete sections 1, 2, and 3 of the Access to Leeds application form. Read guidance on completing sections 1, 2 and 3.

If you are a referee for someone who is applying (such as a teacher, tutor or careers adviser) you must complete sections 4, 5 and 6 of the application form. Read guidance on completing sections 4, 5 and 6.

The application form is designed to be completed electronically using Microsoft Word. You can type directly into the form. If, for any reason, you are unable to complete the application form using Microsoft Word, please email the Access to Leeds team at accesstoleeds@leeds.ac.uk.

FAQs and guidance: before you complete the application form

Applicants: completing the form – sections 1, 2 and 3

Section 1: personal details

UCAS number: You must include your ten digit UCAS Personal Identification number. This is the number we will use when tracking your application.

Email address: Most of the correspondence from the Access to Leeds team will be via email. Where possible, try to provide a personal email address instead of a school email address which you may lose access to at the end of the school year whilst still participating in the scheme.

Please inform the Access to Leeds team if you change your email address, so that you do not miss out on any important information. If you don't inform us of any changes, we cannot take responsibility for you not receiving information regarding your application or other elements of the scheme.

Participation in other schemes: Please use this section to let us know if you have participated in any other programmes at the University of Leeds. It is particularly important to let us know if you have previously taken part in Access to Leeds, so that we can process your application appropriately.

Section 2: course details

Please give details of the course(s) you are applying for at the University of Leeds, including the UCAS course codes.

Please note: You must apply for your course through UCAS in the normal way. The Access to Leeds application should be made in addition to your UCAS application. You do not have to declare you are applying to the Access to Leeds scheme on your UCAS application.

Section 3: applicant statement

In this section you must write about why you feel you meet the Access to Leeds criteria, providing as much detail as possible. Please refer to the eligibility guidelines and answers to the most common questions about eligibility.

If your studies have been disrupted, you must provide additional details of this in the first section of your applicant statement.

Please type your name in the signature box to confirm that the information provided is, to the best of your knowledge, true, complete and accurate. For the purpose of the Access to Leeds application, an electronic signature or typing your name is acceptable – this box must not be left blank or the application will not be processed until complete.

Referees: completing the form – sections 4, 5 and 6

A teacher, tutor or careers advisor must complete sections 4, 5 and 6. For applicants that are not currently in education, an employer or previous tutor can complete this section.

Section 4: referee personal details

Please give details of your name, job title and email address so that the University can contact you if any additional information is required to support the application.

Section 5: eligibility criteria

As a referee for the application, we need you to confirm the applicant’s eligibility for the Access to Leeds scheme to the best of your knowledge. Please tick the box next to each criterion you believe the applicant meets. Please see the eligibility guidelines for more details.

If the applicant’s studies have been disrupted, you must provide additional details of this in the space provided.

Please note: disruption due to COVID-19, is generally no longer considered other than in exceptional circumstances. The disruption must have impacted the applicant in a way that is above and beyond any disruption their peers were experiencing at the time.

We do not usually ask for any additional supporting evidence of an applicant’s personal circumstances, so confirmation to the best of your knowledge is completely acceptable.

Section 6: any other information

This section gives you the opportunity to provide additional information in support of the student’s application and to verify that the information provided on the form is accurate, to the best of your knowledge. If there is anything else you wish to add in support of the applicant, please do so in this section.

Once you have completed the application, please type your name in the signature box at the bottom of the form. For the purpose of the Access to Leeds application, an electronic signature or typing your name is acceptable – this box must not be left blank or the application will not be processed until complete.

Submitting your application

The application form should be submitted by the applicant. Please ensure the form is complete then submit the form using the application submission portal.

On the first page you will be asked to update fields with your details and your referee details. Please complete all relevant fields.

You will then be taken to a page and asked to confirm that you meet the conditions noted.

Finally, you will be asked to upload your application form and, if you are applying under our household income criterion, any supporting documentation.

You will receive an email acknowledgement once your application has been successfully submitted.

What next?

When we receive your application, we will assess your eligibility for the scheme by assessing the information provided by you and your referee alongside information on your UCAS application. 

If you are confirmed as eligible, we will advise the admissions tutors for the course you have applied to. Please note that admissions decisions are made by individual admissions teams not Access to Leeds.

If you have already submitted your UCAS application and have received a rejection, you can still submit an application to Access to Leeds. Should you be assessed as eligible for Access to Leeds, the admissions team will reconsider your UCAS application.

Deadlines

• For applicants to Medicine (A100) and Dental Surgery (A200), applications must be received by Wednesday 1 November 2023 at 23:59. Due to the tight turnaround for interview selection for Medicine and Dentistry, you must submit your application by this deadline.
• For Dental Hygiene and Therapy (A900) and Diagnostic Radiography (B821), Audiology (B61A), Cardiac Physiology (B810), Sonography (B825), we recommended that you submit your application by the UCAS deadline of 31 January 2024 due to the selection process for interviews.
• For applicants to all other courses, applications must be received by Wednesday 14 February 2024 at 23:59.

Important note: we are unable to consider applications submitted after the deadline dates.

If the submission deadline falls during your half-term break, it is your responsibility to ensure your application is completed on time, including the referee section.

Contact details

• Email the Access to Leeds team at accesstoleeds@leeds.ac.uk
• Phone the Access to Leeds team on +44(0)113 343 8952. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.