Â鶹AV is committed to widening participation in Higher Education (HE) and accepts students from a broad range of backgrounds.
To support students into Higher Education, we use a number of indicators to identify students who may be at a disadvantage in their ability to access Higher Education, in order to provide additional support.
Contextual Offers
During the admissions process in the 2025/26 academic year for admission to the University from September 2026, the University will use contextual data available to inform whether each applicant is eligible for a Contextual Offer, as a result of our widening access policy. This means that your offer is likely to be lower than you may have otherwise received. The offer will reflect the fact that we are keen to ensure that you decide to study here.
Our contextual offer process also incorporates the Â鶹AV and HEIW's (Health Education and Improvement Wales) partnership mission to support students onto our health professional training programmes.
Contextual Data – POLAR4 and WIMD
If your postcode indicates that you live in a HE low-participation neighbourhood (including Communities First areas in Wales) you may receive a contextual offer as a result of our widening access policy.
Postcodes are categorised according to the POLAR4 coding system, which identifies 5 tiers of Higher Education participation. Tier 1 has the lowest proportion of residents who have attended Higher Education and Tier 5 the highest.
All contextual offers will be made on the basis of potential to achieve highly at this University and no offers will be based solely on contextual data.
Contextual Data - UCAS
During the 2025/26 application cycle for admission in September 2026, UCAS will be supplying universities with contextual information of other socio-economic indicators, as provided by applicants when completing their UCAS applications.
Â鶹AV will be reviewing this additional information to inform the consideration of eligibility for a contextual offer. This data includes:
- Free School meals recipient
- Estranged from parents
- Parent or carer in the UK Armed Forces
- Served in the UK Armed Forces
- Caring responsibilities
- Living with a physical and/or mental health condition, long-term illness, or learning difference
- Time spent in care
- First in the family to attend University
UCAS also supplies universities with contextual data regarding School performance (e.g. examination results). This information might be used at confirmation (summer exam results) to help inform decisions where applicants have not quite met the terms of their offer.
The University will review the above policy at the end of each admissions cycle.